A Bring on Spring Weekly Link Round-Up

 

Nothing earth-shattering has happened around here in the past week, although we did get a sighting of a new raccoon. I think Wile E. Coyote and his crew have moved on because the feral cats are back to treating our back garden like it's their local pub. JR Junior is a smaller, younger version of JR. This new visitor likes to jump into the pool, and he goes right past the treats in the birdbath-- something JR would never do. 

 

Today (Wednesday) marks the start of a two-day prep for Denis's colonoscopy on Friday. I wouldn't mention it, but it is something important we should all take care of, so consider yourselves reminded. I've already got my needlepoint and audiobook ready to keep myself occupied while I'm waiting. By the time all is said and done, I'd better not sit too close to Denis; he'll be so hungry he might start nibbling on my fingers!

 

I'll leave you with a couple of photos of one of my Tombstone roses. I've never seen so many flowers and buds before, so it's obvious it's been loving all the winter rain.

 

This Tombstone rose completely covers one long section of fence.

 

 

Can you see all the buds that are waiting to open? Wow!

 

Enjoy the links!

 

 

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• What an author learned from book clubs reading his novels.
• Gen Zers are bookworms, but they're ditching eBooks for the real thing. 
• J.A. Jance on creating believable characters.
• It turns out that America's most "recession-proof" business is bookstores.
• How one woman's reading The Secret Garden with her daughter reframed what it means to live forever.
• Vinyl records have outsold CDs for the first time since 1987.
• The FBI and DOJ are investigating ByteDance's use of TikTok to spy on journalists.
• Two people have been arrested in Hong Kong for the possession of a "seditious" children's book.
• Is saliva the next frontier in cancer detection?
  

 

►Book Banning & Censorship◄

• The Davis (Utah) School District officials have pulled 33 books from libraries under a new policy.
• Hilliard (Ohio) parents raise concerns over a book that discusses sexual orientation and LGBTQ topics. 
• A father in North Carolina wants to remove some books. This Southern Baptist preacher was upset when he found his daughter reading a book about Islam. 
• Gender Queer was removed from a library shelf in Queensland (Australia) and referred to the Australian Classification Board. 
• The Cork City Council (Ireland) say they will "not remove" LGBTQ+ material from libraries after staff members were harassed. 
• Action4Canada has had to inform people that flyers being distributed near schools about offensive books are not from that station. 
• Jodi Picoult doubles down against Florida book bans in a new op ed. 
• The Hendersonville (Tennessee) library is facing threats after allegations in national media relating to a Christian actor's story hour. 
• A preacher in Calgary, Alberta, Canada was arrested near a drag storytime event after he'd been ordered to stay away from the LGBTQ+ community. 
• A new U.S. House resolution will further ignite book bans. 
• The American Library Association reports a shocking increase in attempted book bans in 2022. 
• Five things the Marshall Project has learned about prison book ban policies.
• The State of Oklahoma aims to revoke the license of a teacher over books. (She encouraged her students to go online and get free access to a Brooklyn Public Library card.) 

 

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• This ancient receipt bears the first known reference to a famous Persian king. (How many times do I have to tell you to keep those receipts!)
• An ancient comb made from human skull has been unearthed in England.
• A metal detectorist found a 2,000-year-old figurine with an eye-catching oversized body part.
• A hidden chamber has been revealed inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. (Got your passport handy Margot?)
• A newfound ancient Egyptian sphinx may depict the Roman emperor Claudius, but not everyone agrees.
• A 17th-century hoard brimming with 1,000 coins has been discovered in Poland.
• Bronze Age craftspeople tempered steel more than 1,000 years before the Romans did it.
• This story went viral (in the right circles): A Dutch historian found medieval treasure using a metal detector. More from NBC News and Smithsonian Magazine.
• Two articles about Notre Dame Cathedral for FR: from Live Science and Smithsonian Magazine.

 

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• The unusual European journey of Thor the walrus.
• Watch hyper Italian greyhound named Nori parkour around the house. 
• Meet "Aber-clam Lincoln," a 214-year-old clam. 
• It made a splash among scientists when a cougar swam Puget Sound.
• How crows use tools to solve problems. 
• Maximilian the yellow lab got to enjoy a day at the water park. 
• Sheep come to the rescue of the ruins of Pompeii. 
• Watch a devoted dog walk a girl to and from the school bus every day. 

 

►The Wanderer◄

• This Danish church is a beacon for how to protect wildlife from artificial light.
• Here's the Zillow listing for a Portland, Oregon home that has a two-story turret library. (With a big sofa. And windows. And a fireplace.)
• Are floating solar panels the future of clean energy production?
• The culture wars are energizing feminist bookstores.

 

►Fascinating Folk◄

• The USPS is honoring Toni Morrison with a Forever stamp.
• Why Marie Antoinette's reputation changes with each generation. 
• The National Audubon Society has voted to keep the name of an enslaver. 
• Anna Cser, 1920s midwife and leader of a murder ring. 
• Who was the Red Lady of Paviland? 
• The first-ever analysis of Beethoven's DNA sheds light on the mystery of his death. 

 

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Retold fairy tales.
• Eight books that the authors regretted writing.
• Ten must-read Native American authors.
• Jesse Q. Sutanto's favorite feel-good crime novels of the year.
• Books for the budding young naturalist in your life.
• Forty of the best dystopian novels.
• Twenty must-read historical fiction books set in China.
• Minimalist book covers of 2023.

That's all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.

I know you're busy, but don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!