A Non-Medical Weekly Link Round-Up

 

The weather continues to be glorious, so I'm going ahead with my plans to go to the Phoenix Zoo Thursday, which means that I have to get all my ducks in a row. Make sure my trusty scooter is fully charged. Make sure my camera batteries are charged. Book Dial-a-Ride. Decide which of my "designer outfits" I'll wear. 😉 It's great to be planning a non-medical outing. So... I'm writing this link round-up early. I'll probably post it early, too. Three posts from me in three days? Wow!

I'm almost finished with Devon Mihesuah's Blood Relay, which looks like it's going to be my first Best Reads of 2026. Then it will be on to the first book in a new series by Dana Stabenow, The Harvey Girl. I'm really looking forward to this one because the history of Fred Harvey's hotels and the early tourism of Arizona have always fascinated me. (I've also visited one of the Harvey House hotels in Winslow.) I'm hoping that these books will help me get my reading groove back.

I've been knitting and needlepointing up a storm and wishing that I'd purchased more of a now-discontinued yarn that I love. I've always enjoyed making things for the house, and this new color scheme for the kitchen and family room is keeping me busy.

In the mean time, take a look at this Little Free Library that I found. Perfect for Arizona, isn't it?

I hope you're all safe and warm and have plenty of reading material at hand. Virtual hugs to you all.

Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Adriane Leigh on why we are living in the age of the unreliable narrator.
• Quiz: Can you match the opening line to the TV show?
• Stories about the end of reading tend to leave out some inconvenient data points.
• Farmers' Almanac has announced its final publication after a 208-year run.
• In 1982, a physics joke gone wrong sparked the invention of the emoticon.
• How local bookstores are helping immigrants amid ICE fears.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• Beach erosion has revealed the fragments of a 136-year-old shipwreck that sank in New Jersey's "Graveyard of the Atlantic."
• 5,000-year-old rock art from ancient Egypt depicts the "terrifying" conquest of the Sinai Peninsula.
• Eerie "sand burials" of elite Anglo-Saxons and their "sacrificed" horse have been discovered near a UK nuclear power plant.
• A metal detectorist discovered the earliest known coin ever produced in a Scottish mint.
• A rare 2,000-year-old war trumpet, possibly linked to the Celtic queen Boudica, has been discovered in England.
• Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a long-lost city inhabited by Maya rebels who resisted the Spanish Conquest.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• A rare mountain lion standoff in San Francisco ended peacefully after a 30-hour search.
• When vampire bats become close friends, they start "talking" like each other.
• New recordings suggest that wild jaguars sometimes meow just like house cats. The sounds may help mothers and cub find one another.
• Watch Betsy the bulldog greet her neighbors through an elaborately decorated hole in the fence.
• Sylvia, the tamest grizzly of Yellowstone.
• Even though they don't have brains to rest, jellyfish and sea anemones sleep like humans.

►The Wanderer◄

• You can buy this 438-year-old mill in Wales that inspired a stunning J.M.W. Turner painting.
• Why Palm Springs is the perfect setting for suspense.
• Crime and the City: Osaka.
• 50 of National Geographics' favorite U.S. state parks.
• The most unusual house in every U.S. state.
• Ice cream, elephants, organs, death: the triumphs and terrors of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Thomas White's escape from slavery, told on tattered pages, was found more than a century after it was documented.
• An 11th-century monk named Eilmer, not Halley, was the first to discover the comet.
• Richard Burton, the explorer who faked his way through the Hajj.
• Laura Secord's walk.
• 13 memoirs from people who rose above impossible circumstances.
• Filles du roi: the founding mothers of New France.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• 5 novels with perfectly unsympathetic protagonists.
• New mysteries and thrillers by your favorite authors.
• 10 mystery films that feature trains.
• 7 crime fiction books to read if you loved True Detective.
• These are the best books of 2025.
• 5 novels set in the wild British moors.

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 Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

 

First Lines: Tuesday 9 March, 2010-- Guernsey 4 PM. "I think she's coming round, Anna. I'm sure I saw her blink."

When an elderly woman suffers a stroke and then begins speaking perfect French-- a language her family has never heard her speak-- her granddaughter is encouraged to unravel decades of silence, and her grandmother's wartime experiences come to light.

Eighteen-year-old Lenny Gallienne becomes a spy for Churchill by posing as a clerk in a Paris bookshop when her beloved brother is declared missing in action at Dunkirk. She encodes information into her knitting as she makes sweaters for escaped prisoners returning to England. When the Gestapo begins closing in, Lenny finds herself faced with an impossible choice in the Metro tunnels beneath Paris.

~

I learned about women using their knitting to encode messages to the Allies during World War II several years ago, so when I heard of The Resistance Knitting Club, I knew I had to read it. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

My enjoyment was hampered by two things. One, the predictable plot, and two, the main character. Lenny is a young woman who feels compelled to do more than knit socks and sweaters for soldiers when she learns her brother is missing in action at Dunkirk. She joins Churchill's secret army and uses her knitting to master Morse code during training. However, Lenny is supremely unsuited to life as a spy, either physically or mentally. For example, she faints at the drop of a hat-- something a person constantly facing danger should avoid doing. No, she really should have stayed home with her needles and yarn.

For any knitting fans out there who might want to read this book for that particular skill, it's mainly used as a hook to draw enthusiasts in. Once Lenny gets to France, the story has little to do with knitting or even knitting code. That was a bit of a disappointment, I must admit.

The Resistance Knitting Club is listed as the first in a series called Threads of Resistance. I'm afraid I won't be reading any further.

The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

eISBN: 9781837002542

Storm Publishing © 2026

eBook, 359 pages

Historical Fiction, #1 Threads of Resistance

Rating: C-

Source: Net Galley

A Study in Secrets by Jeffrey Siger

 

First Line: Michael had grown quite fond of the anonymous souls who paused beneath his window.

After years of a complicated life in the intelligence service, Michael has been enjoying a reclusive life in his New York townhouse, inventing lives for the people he watches strolling through the park across the street, and having his every need taken care of by his housekeeper, Mrs. Baker.

But this quiet life of his changes when the girl he's been watching for some time drastically changes her routine. Michael realizes she is in danger and decides to do what he can to help her.

In no time at all, Michael finds that he needs to use all the tricks of his former trade because he's just plunged headlong into the New York underworld.

~

After years of enjoying Jeffrey Siger's Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis mysteries set in Greece, I wasn't about to miss this first in his new Redacted Man series. Although Michael, the retired intelligence officer, could remind readers of Sherlock Holmes with the number of his townhouse being 221, his housekeeper named Mrs. Baker, and his exhaustive knowledge, Michael says, "I get to play the Wizard of Oz." He prefers to work behind the scenes, and the contacts he's made throughout the years are nothing short of amazing.

It did take me a while to warm up to the characters; their histories unfold so gradually, but I did: Angel, the young girl Michael decides to help, a brother and sister who find themselves over their heads when the brother acquires a very dangerous man's treasure, Michael's friends in the neighborhood, Michael himself, and especially Mrs. Baker.

With a strong, fast-paced plot and engaging characters, A Study in Secrets was a pleasure to read. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. 

A Study in Secrets by Jeffrey Siger

eISBN: 9781448317073

Severn House © 2026

eBook, 212 pages

Thriller, #1 Redacted Man

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Messy Desk Weekly Link Round-Up

 

I've been working on clearing out my office, something that's long overdue. I've gone through all the paperwork Denis kept and shredded what didn't need to be kept. (99% of it.) Now I need to go through mine, but that won't take nearly as long because all of mine is in one drawer-- much less than Denis's dozen.

I'm doing all this to get all the important papers together in one place. I've had to take care of the final affairs of too many packrats not to want what happens after I kick the bucket to be completely different. Now this makes me sound all noble, but the execution of my plans could be moving a bit faster. It's always easy to find something else that needs to be done. (Sound familiar?) 

While I have cleared out one side of my desk, the other side is still a mess. Take a look at a bit of it.

The keyboard is partially buried under greeting cards and the knitting patterns that I've printed out. Then there's tax documents, Post-It notes... you get the picture. Now that I've got the bulk of things dealt with in here, the rest shouldn't take as long... I hope.

The weather has been glorious here, and the forecast for next week says it's going to be more of the same, so I'm tentatively planning an outing either to the Phoenix Zoo or the Desert Botanical Garden. Keep your fingers crossed. Virtual hugs to you all!

Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Maven Screen Media has optioned the film rights to Ariel Lawhon's hit historical mystery, The Frozen River. (Let's hope the movie gets made.)
• Researchers are warning that next-generation AI "swarms" will invade social media by mimicking human behavior and harassing real users.
• Wikipedia volunteers spent years cataloging AI tells. Now there's a plugin to avoid those tells. (I tell you, AI is getting scarier and scarier.)
• The generational impact of book bans on teens.
• There's nothing better than a whole lot of books: In praise of bibliomania.
• The hidden politics of the crossword puzzle.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• Archaeologists discovered the "Holy Grail" of shipwrecks a decade ago. Now, they're finally beginning to unravel the secrets of the San Jose.
• These high-status individuals were given a "princely" burial alongside a fully harnessed horse in an early medieval cemetery.
• A 1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb discovered in Mexico features an enormous owl sculpture symbolizing death.
• Archaeologists unearthed an intricately decorated box carved from deer bone that may have once held ancient ointments.
• A new Livestream tour takes tourists underneath Rome into the never-before-seen House of Griffins.
• Archaeologists stumbled upon a mysterious medieval village while preparing for new wind farms in England.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Do animals hate the bitter cold of winter?
• Maverick the Bengal cat has learned to surf so he can stay close to his human.
• These hungry starfish are spiraling out of control in Australia. Now scientists say they have a new plan to fight back.
• The penguins that thrive-- and the ones left behind as Antarctica warms.
• Ancient mummified cheetahs discovered in Saudi Arabia contain preserved DNA from the long-lost population. (I can see it now-- Jurassic Park with cheetahs.)
• The nation's biggest animal sanctuary operates under a mantra to "save them all." How could that be controversial?

►The Wanderer◄

• The American Southwest's iconic Joshua trees are blooming early-- and scientists want your help to figure out why. 
• Lakes to make you double-take.
• Minneapolis's Moon Palace Books is a hub for anti-ICE resistance.
• The uncertain future of the world's most expensive spice. 
• A stunning stretch of California's rugged coastline is now open to the public for the first time in a century.
• America's pistachio industry came from a single seed.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Val McDermid on why she starts new novels in January.
• Meet thirteen people who survived on deserted islands, from a real-life Robinson Crusoe to a noblewoman marooned with her lover.
• How an enslaved gardener named Antoine transformed the pecan into a cash crop.
• Horse-riding librarians were the Great Depression's bookmobiles.
• Tragedy struck composer Irving Berlin on Christmas Day. Years later, he would write one of the all-time holiday classics.
• Let Pierce Brosnan do whatever he wants!

►I ♥ Lists◄

• 15 groundbreaking films that somehow didn't win a single Oscar.
• 20 slang words and phrases that are much older than you'd think.
• The ultimate list of 2026 book-to-screen adaptations.
• 16 books that will sweep you away to the Pacific Northwest.
• What books showed up across all the "Best of 2025" lists?
• 14 gripping archaeological 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!

Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart

 

First Lines: Eagle Springs, North Carolina, 1931. Dorothy Baker's reputation is on the line.

Walking to work one morning, Ruth Foster is stopped by the sheriff, who threatens her with arrest if she doesn't accompany him to a health clinic to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases. Even though she's done no more than kiss a man, Ruth finds herself at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. 

There she finds women from all walks of life, and the reasons why many of them are incarcerated are suspicious indeed. As Ruth becomes acquainted with her fellow inmates, she also learns that Superintendent Dorothy Baker is not a woman to be crossed. 

Baker takes her mission of transforming degenerate souls into upstanding members of society very seriously. If anyone at the Colony flouts anything listed in her rule book, the consequences are swift and harsh. Be that as it may, Ruth is determined to get out-- no matter what it takes.

~

In many respects, I've mellowed as I've gotten older, but not in all. Misogyny now infuriates me. As I learn more about the ridiculous laws women have had to deal with, I'm not only angry, but I also wonder why on earth women have put up with this treatment for centuries. When did we lose our spines? But I digress.

Donna Everhart's Women of a Promiscuous Nature is based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, set in motion during World War I to prevent soldiers from contracting venereal disease. Women could be forced to undergo testing for these diseases and placed in "industrial farm colonies" for the flimsiest reasons. Rumors. Being poor. Eating alone in a restaurant. Speaking to a soldier. Being pretty and unmarried. Yes, prostitutes were also incarcerated, but most of these women were not.

Strong characterizations make this book a winner. I couldn't help but take them all into my heart-- two in particular. Ruth, a young woman who just happened to be too pretty to be walking alone to work, and fifteen-year-old Stella, whose home life was so abominable that the farm colony felt like heaven to her. But three characters figure prominently in Women of a Promiscuous Nature. The third is Superintendent Dorothy Baker. Letting readers into her mind is a stroke of genius. We're given insight into how a woman could actually treat other women in such a horrible way and think she was helping them. Although I never did give up my hearty dislike of Dorothy Baker, her character does have depth. She's not merely the villain of the piece. 

Women of a Promiscuous Nature shines a light on a murky piece of American history, and in so doing, readers can take the book's characters to heart-- becoming angry for them, worrying about them, and wanting to help them escape from their prison. 

Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart

eISBN: 9781496740731

Kensington Books © 2026

eBook, 368 pages

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

The Times Are Changin' Weekly Link Round-Up

 

I suppose it was to be expected that Denis's death would bring about personal changes in my life. My reading has slowed almost to a crawl compared to what it's been the rest of my life. What I do read is exclusively on my Kindle. Why? Arthritic hands, no towering piles of physical books, the convenience of being able to change the font size and highlight a word to learn its definition. 

I am finding myself wanting to spend more time knitting and doing needlepoint, and when I find myself in need of an item for a project, I get it online so I'll stay out of nearby craft stores. Why? Because, if I go in a craft store, I think my will power would turn tail and run. A reduced income means I have to be smart about what I do and how much I spend. (Not that I wasn't careful before.) What a pain!

From all the hummingbird activity, I think there is a lot of nesting going on, which means there will be plenty of baby hummers learning how to take advantage of my feeders (which I just finished cleaning and refilling).

Here's another photo of my family room to show the Mexican floral designs I've introduced as well as some African handmade items that are bright, cheerful, and make me smile.

I hear the Polar Vortex is gearing up for another blast. If you are in its path, please stay safe and warm--and make sure you have plenty of reading material. Virtual hugs to you all!

Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Concerns about AI-made images have deep roots in the earliest years of filmmaking.
• Many Americans read 0 books in 2025. A new reading challenge wants to change that.
• AI's memorization crisis.
• Audio is "no longer an afterthought" as publishers snap up a raft of audio-first acquisitions.
• Neuroscientists studied more than 80,000 people and found that speaking multiple languages might slow down brain aging.
• An Alabama board has voted to remove books about being transgender from public library youth sections.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• 1,700-year-old Roman marching camps have been discovered in Germany-- along with a multitude of artifacts like coins and remnants of shoes.
• Archaeologists say they've detected the largest stand-alone ancient Roman villa ever unearthed in Wales.
• A 2,400-year-old Hercules shrine and elite tombs were discovered outside ancient Rome's walls.
• In a new documentary, famed archaeologist Zahi Hawaas claims Nefertiti's tomb is close to discovery.
• Remnants of spills on a Renaissance-era textbook reveal recipes for "curing" ailments.
• A DNA study has revealed that one of the last Siberian shamans was an 18th-century woman whose parents were related.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• During the 1918 flu epidemic, pet parents put masks on their cats.
• Pumas returned to Patagonia-- and met penguins. What happened next surprised scientists.
• A cow named Veronika can scratch her back with a broom. Watch the video that scientists are calling the first documented evidence of cattle using tools.
• A coyote scrambled onto Alcatraz Island after a perilous, never-before-seen swim.
• This mama polar bear adopted a young cub-- and you can track the family as they wander around Hudson Bay.
• These male hummingbirds evolved straighter, sharper bills so they could better joust for mates.

►The Wanderer◄

• You can see a swirling sculpture made of 8,000 books at a library in Prague.
• This tiny French archipelago became America's alcohol warehouse during Prohibition.
• Crime and the City: Santo Domingo.
• From historic houses to scenic salt marshes, these 15 photographs capture the charm of Charleston, South Carolina.
• Triple Divide Peak: Montana's unique liquid "crossroads" where water can flow into three oceans.
• Hungary's oldest library races to rescue books from hungry beetles.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Oscar Wilde's portraits, poems, letters, and manuscripts head to auction 125 years after his death.
• George R.R. Martin on his triumphs and torments.
• Vicki Delany on writing what you want to learn: the joy of real-world research when crafting a novel.
• Aina Cederblom, the Swedish female adventurer who sailed solo around the world.
• Elaine Yoneda, a Jewish woman in a Japanese American concentration camp.
• Meet Cristhian Conde-Saldaña who discovered a new genus of curious catfish hiding in Colombia's mot endangered river. 

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Crime on the high seas: 8 historical mysteries with pirates and smugglers.
• 7 weird punctuation marks we should bring back.
• BookBub's best mysteries and thrillers of 2026.
• 16 biographies and memoirs coming this year.
• The best crime TV series of 2025.
• 45 terrific slang terms from the last century.

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!

While Miz Kittling Knits: Return to Paradise

 

It's been a while since you've seen one of these posts, isn't it? 

I've not only been brightening up my kitchen and family room, but I've done the same thing in my bathroom. Here's a photo of the old color scheme.

Yes, I've knitted cotton wash cloths and hand towels for my bathroom. (I have to be different, dontcha know?)

Now, here is a photo of the new color scheme.

I absolutely love the colors in this yarn, so much so that I bought four huge cones of it. It's Lily Sugar'N Cream 100% cotton yarn in "Emerald Energy." I used the sand stitch from one of my stitch encyclopedias. It's sand stitch on one side and dot stitch on the other. I like reversible stitches, and this time around, I prefer the dot side. Since my bath towels were also old and tatty, I bought new ones. (Well over a year ago. Nothing like being behind the times on sharing.) I tried my luck with Amazon, and I could not believe how well I managed to match the colors! Take a look!

It's almost as if I'd gone in person to the store instead of clicking on Buy Now.

One of the programs I watched while I was knitting was Return to Paradise.

Here's the synopsis from IMDb: "Detective Inspector Mackenzie Clarke reluctantly returns to her Australian hometown after leaving her fiancé, only to be pulled into a case testing her tenacity until the culprit is apprehended."

Unfortunately, the best part of the series for me was the Australian scenery. The actress portraying DI Mackenzie Clarke put me off, and it wasn't just because of how her character was written (too abrasive). I hate to admit it, but her bulging, staring eyes bothered me. A lot. I found them creepy. The picture above doesn't come close to her appearance in the series. Her emaciated-looking face didn't help either. It's the first time I ever remember being put off watching something because of an actor's appearance, and I hope it never happens again!

I watched the entire first season because I wanted to see if the stories improved or if my reaction to the main character did. Neither did, so, if there is a second season, I won't be watching it.

A Colorful Weekly Link Round-Up

 

It's been another "interesting" week here at Casa Kittling. I won't go into details, but some of the most interesting bits have concerned the UK revenue folks telling me that, they know Denis is dead, but they sent him too much money and they want it back. And if that wasn't enough, I'm in the midst of trying to find someone... anyone... at the medical supply company and my health insurance who knows their gluteus maximus from their cubitus. Onwards and upwards, folks! (And I promise-- no more Latin.)

Those of you who took a look at my Christmas decorations may remember a bright Christmas tree area rug on the kitchen floor. You may even be wondering if I decided that Christmas would be year round in that particular room. I'm happy to say that I managed to bundle up Christmas and put down a brand-new rug. One that's bright and cheerful and makes me smile every time I see it. Here's the new rug.

I've gone with a bit of a Mexican floral theme in the kitchen and family room, and I kept the little tree so I can change its theme from time to time. (Right now, the tree has hearts and hummingbirds on it.) I've also brought in treasured items that bring me pleasure to look at. In other words, these are all one of my weapons against depression, and while they may not be 100% successful, the smiles they bring certainly help.

Virtual hugs to you all-- especially those of you who have your own battles to fight! Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Six small press editors explain why the hottest new thing in lit is out-of-print books.
• Mattel and Alex Aster team up for the Barbie young adult novel, Barbie: Dreamscape.
• What character are you in a traditional English murder mystery?
• How should a book stack be?
• Andrea Mara on writing suburban crime fiction in the age of social media and digital surveillance.
• Science fiction warned AI could end humanity. We may soon learn if it's possible.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• Archaeologists say they've unearthed a massive medieval cargo ship that's the largest vessel of its kind ever found.
• A monumental tomb discovered in Turkey might be of a member of King Midas' family.
• The story of Carthage isn't necessarily what the Romans committed to history. (None of us should be very surprised.)
• You can now see 750-year-old artifacts recovered from England's oldest shipwreck.
• A site in Pompeii reveals the recipe for Roman concrete. It contradicts a famous architect's writings.
• Why are there so many shipwrecks in the Great Lakes?

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Six of the most loyal dogs throughout history.
• Some dogs are "gifted word learners" that learn language by eavesdropping-- just like human toddlers.
• Incredibly rare mountain gorilla twins have been born in Virunga.
• How scientists learn from the masters of invisibility: octopuses.
• Coyotes mate for life-- and grieve when their partner dies.
• Is the cassowary really the world's most dangerous bird?

►The Wanderer◄

• The adventures of America's most well-traveled bookstore.
• The most unusual regions of each US state.
• Archaeologists are using laser to clean decades of grime off a towering 1,800-year-old marble column in Rome.
• The ten best books about travel of 2025.
• Take a literary pilgrimage to Jane Austen's England.
• The kingdom of books.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Where are all the women? Discover why women disappear from digital history and what can be done to change it.
• Samuel Green freed himself and others from slavery. Then he was imprisoned over owning a book.
• Months before Rosa Parks made headlines, Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat for a white woman on a segregated bus.
• How Nick Benson crowdsourced more than 500 dashcams for Minneapolis to film ICE.
• Scott Adams, the controversial cartoonist behind Dilbert, has died at the age of 68.
• How women in New Jersey gained-- and lost-- the right to vote more than a century before the 19th Amendment granted suffrage nationwide. 

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Three novels featuring powerful aunts.
• The Rights of Nature: a reading list.
• Crafting cozies for winter.
• Seven mysteries set in the southwestern United States. 
• Can you name all ten of these Disney movies from the '60s?
• These are the most wishlisted mysteries and thrillers of 2025.

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!