An Unplanned Treats Weekly Link Round-Up

 

This past Sunday was the first time in a long time that I've felt like "me." It's been so long that I was surprised when I realized it. Life does go on. 

I've been taking it easy with my clearing out and reorganizing things in the house. I overdid it to the point where my lower back was killing me and I could barely move my right arm. (I really don't want to check the odometer on my scooter either!) Life goes on, but some things never change... like the fact that I'm a goal-oriented person, and once I have a plan in mind, my common sense can get tossed out the window. A drawer at a time, a shelf at a time is my current mantra. 

Tucker, the woman who cuts my hair, is about to become a first-time grandma, and I told her to go through my stash of baby blankets and choose as many as she liked for her grandbaby. She chose two and gave them to her daughter Monday. It was a treat, and Taylor was thrilled, as you can see in the photo. 

Speaking of treats-- it is Halloween after all-- I received an unplanned one from a special person that made me smile. Unexpected acts of friendship and kindness can be such spirit lifters. May all of you receive some unplanned treats of your own. Virtual hugs to you all.

Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Ellery Adams on the allure of psychics and mediums in crime fiction.
• Miami Vice is back-- again!
• Agatha Christie's first published work has been discovered after 120 years.
• The case for whole books. (I didn't realize the educational system was moving away from having students read entire books?!?)
• The Harry Potter full-cast audiobook adds Bill Nighy as Slughorn, with eleven others.
• Breastfeeding has long been linked to reducing cancer risk. Scientists may have just discovered why.
• AI models get brain rot, too.
• How the Hardy Boys book series cracked the case of getting kids hooked on reading. (Admission here. As a child, I much preferred the Hardy Boys to Nancy Drew.)

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• 900 years ago, Indigenous Americans dragged, carried, or floated a 5-ton tree more than 100 miles to North America's largest city north of Mexico. (And I've been there, and once was not enough.)
• A 2,000-year-old sarcophagus was unsealed-- and the mummy inside is mind-blowing.
• A family found these rare Tudor coins buried in their backyard. Now the trove is heading to the auction block.
• The Roos Carr figures: Creepy 2,600-year-old carvings with "removable genitalia" and eyes that may have symbolized Odin's soothsayer powers.
• A pair of "holy" islands in an eerily green African lake hold centuries-old relics and mummified emperors.
• A treasure trove of shipwrecks along China's coast reveals how East met West on the Maritime Silk Road.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Horseshoe crab blood has long helped us make safe medicines. Now alternatives that spare the ancient creatures might be breaking through.
• See this year's hilarious finalists from the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, from gossiping leopards to breakdancing foxes.
• "Feisty" otters are once again hijacking surfboards in Santa Cruz.
• To hide from predators, some animals camouflage into their surroundings, while others display bright colors as a warning. What keeps them safest?
• Getting annoyed at your noisy neighbor? Spiders are, too. New research finds they'll build webs differently in loud conditions.
• Texas puma genes rescue Florida panthers from extinction-- for now.

►The Wanderer◄

• The Loch Ness Monster look-alike lurking beneath Lake Tahoe.
• A car backed up into the home where Shakespeare's daughter lived, causing serous damage.
• National Geographic's best places in the world to travel to in 2026.
• Why Paris designed its peculiarly popular grand graveyards to evoke a celebration of life amid all the death.
• Australian rainforests have become the first to emit more carbon than they absorb.
• One of Frank Lloyd Wright's rare Usonian automatic homes has achieved landmark status.
• Iceland is no longer mosquito free.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• See how Manet and Morisot's creative friendship influenced their artistic styles.
• The mystery Waterloo soldier depicted in a painting at London's National Army Museum has been identified.
• Thirteen-year-old painting prodigy Andres Valencia releases his first limited-edition print collection.
• Trailblazing dancer Misty Copeland performed one last time before retiring from the American Ballet Theater.
• The Amazon has been Peruvian artist Sara Flores' home, inspiration, and palette. Now the world is her gallery.
• Molly Young is the GOAT book recommender.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Halloween postcards, ca. 1900-1920.
• Seven supposedly haunted artworks.
• Esquire names its Best Books of 2025.
• Ten historic events that happened on Halloween.
• Ten novels featuring unabashedly unhinged female characters. 
• Twenty books that offer pure escapism, from Kirkus.
• Five delicious mysteries that focus on food and cooking.
• Stephen King thinks you should read these books.
• Twelve biographies of forgotten women of history.
• Thirteen mysteries and thrillers set on trains.

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!