A Thankful Weekly Link Round-Up

 

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of blogging, but I do have to admit that I enjoyed my little vacation. Denis's medical procedure went well, and his range of motion is much improved. My own issues are proving to be as stubborn as I am, but I'm feeling better and chugging right along. 

Denis and I went to an event at The Poisoned Pen last week and had a blast despite transportation woes, and we're looking forward to getting out to the Desert Botanical Garden, the Heard Museum, and the Phoenix Zoo, which is opening a brand-new exhibit called the Predator Passage. Since we've seen this new exhibit in various stages of construction, we definitely want to see the finished product.

Last but not least, I want to thank everyone who sent emails and cards while I was getting my mojo back. You're the best-- and the reason why I never want to stop blogging!

Thanks for the cards and emails!

Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• How author Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) predicted the rise of eBooks thirty years ago.
• How much have book prices increased since 2019?
• Sixty years ago, one simple book changed the way kids read forever.
• Why do writers use different pen names for genres?
• Thirty years later, The Age of Innocence remains Scorsese's most subtle deconstruction of misogyny.
• Presidential centers from Hoover to Bush and Obama reunite to warn of the fragile state of US democracy.
• Is BookTok sucking the joy out of reading?
• Is that unread book making you feel guilty? You're not alone.

 

►Book Banning & Censorship◄

• Crawford County (Arkansas) has approved more money for library censorship legal fees. (Book banning costs hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money.)
• Moms for Liberty grows in Wisconsin as it looks to shape policy and impact elections.
• Librarian: The efforts to ban books from Cullman (Alabama) library are on the rise.
• The Hamshire-Fannett Independent School District (Texas) sends email to parents of eighth grade class warning of the reading of an inappropriate book based on Anne Frank's diary. 
• Osceola (Florida) schools ends a public library program that gave students automatic access to library resources over state law concerns.
• A Little Free Diverse Library has sparked controversy and discussion surrounding a flag policy.
• The North Shelby Library Board (Alabama) fires back at "misinformation" given by Re. Susan Dubose and others.
• The Liberty Elementary School district (Arizona) is soliciting volunteers for a curriculum and resources review committee.

 

 

 

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• A mysterious 3,800-year-old Canaanite arch and stairway have been unearthed in Israel.
• A Paleolithic "art sanctuary" in Spain contains more than 110 prehistoric cave paintings.
• Archaeologists in Zambia have discovered the oldest wooden structure in the world, dating to 476,000 years ago. More from Smithsonian Magazine.
  
• Two rare Roman cavalry swords from 1,800 years ago were discovered by a UK metal detectorist.
• A sunken temple and sanctuary from ancient Egypt have been found brimming with "treasures and secrets."
• A 2,000-year-old child's shoe has been found in an Austrian mine.
• See underwater wreckage from the Battle of Midway in stunning detail.
• A Bronze Age hexagonal "pyramid" not like anything "found before in the Eurasian steppe" has been found.

 

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Watch the colorful array of birds that visit a feeder in Costa Rica.
• Watch squirrels enjoy a custom charcuterie board.
• Did you know your dog may be listening to your voice even when it's sleeping?
• Do other animals dream?
• This mama bear and her cubs repeatedly mess with trail cameras.
• Watch this drone footage of rare Alpine chamois running down the rocky sides of a mountain.
• One of Europe's most endangered birds (the Azores bullfinch) is bouncing back.
• Songbirds that learn to make new sounds are the best problem-solvers.

 

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Queens of Prohibition: the wild story of eight women bootleggers, moonshiners, and rum runners.
• Florence Baker, unsung survivor.
• Nina Simon tells the incredible story behind her breakout debut novel.
• Hikmet Kaya has planted 30 million saplings and created a forest on once-barren land.
• Emily Warren Roebling: the woman who saved the Brooklyn Bridge.

 

►The Wanderer◄

• Fifteen places on Earth that look like alien planets.
• England's beloved Sycamore Gap tree has been chopped down.
• The world's largest and smelliest flower is at risk of extinction.
• Teal McDonald's arches. (Been there!)
• The Andover Bookstore is not only the oldest in Massachusetts, it's the oldest in the United States.
• Crime and the City: Hamburg.

 

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Some of the best online book clubs in 2023.
• Eight social thrillers with hard-hitting themes.
• Eight magical libraries in fiction.
• The ten best bookish coasters.
• Eleven essential hip-hop books.
• Fifteen interactive books for toddlers.
• Cozy mysteries with furry sidekicks.
• Twelve eye-opening memoirs about rural America.

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.

No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!