The Smells of Spring Weekly Link Round-Up

I haven't done all that much this week, mostly stitching and puttering. I love a good putter-- when you get all sorts of things done, but no one else can tell that you've done anything. At least I know what was accomplished!

I'm keeping my needles busy. I've been knitting and doing needlepoint to make new things for the kitchen, and soon I'll be doing the same thing for my bathroom. I never have been the domestic goddess type. For example, I loathe cooking, although I did get an air fryer a few days ago. Now all I have to do is use the thing! 😄 Cooking? Meh. Cleaning? Meh. But I do like to feather my nest by making pretty things to brighten up the house.

My reading has moved on from The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow to the next in Tim Sullivan's DS George Cross series, The Politician. I don't binge read, and I seldom read more than one book by the same author each year, but I really enjoy Sullivan's books, and as they become available on Net Galley, I request them. Since the series is being released in the US at a rate of one per month, I'm becoming acquainted with George and his team much faster than I normally would. What will I read after The Politician? Sujata Massey's newest Perveen Mistry, The Star from Calcutta. Yes, I'm fortunate to have received advance reading copies of these books. You can be on the lookout for both them and my reviews.

I love the Sonoran Desert, no matter how hot it gets. Each season has something about it to be savored, and right now, I'm savoring the wonderful smell of my sweet acacia tree. 

Sweet acacia blooms

The USPS told me that a package that's on the way here from Virginia has been delayed due to weather. I hope you're all "weather-proofed" with warmth, food, and-- of course-- books. Virtual hugs to you all, my friends.

Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• In praise of one of America's all-time great book sections. (I loved the Washington Post Book World.)
• Netflix adaptations often mean big bucks for publishers.
• Read love letters from royals and romantics across 500 years of British history.
• Publishers near and far are stepping up for Minnesota's children.
• Don't invest in AI, invest in the future of the book.
• The nineteenth-century science of fashion.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• This carved, painted Zapotec tomb is Mexico's most important archaeological discovery in a decade.
• A Viking Age mass grave holds a mysterious mix of dismembered human remains and complete skeletons, including a "giant" who'd had brain surgery.
• Archaeologists say they've identified traces of a 2,000-year-old love note still etched into a wall in ancient Pompeii.
• The world's oldest known sewn clothing may be stitched pieces of Ice Age hide unearthed in an Oregon cave.
• A medieval gold ring with a dazzling blue gemstone discovered in Norway is a "fantastically beautiful and rare specimen."
• 10 amazing archaeological finds discovered by ordinary people (and one badger).

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• See a rare bus-size giant phantom jelly wade through ocean waters off the coast of Argentina.
• These lazy bats are super-efficient killers that carefully conserve energy to attack at a moment's notice.
• What is a stoat? Learn five fun facts about the adorable weasels chosen as the Olympic mascots.
• How to weigh a baby koala.
• Inside Taiwan's "butterfly kingdom," a rare natural wonder that takes place every year.
• The highly elusive Sierra Nevada red fox has been spotted for the first time ever in the California mountains.

►The Wanderer◄

• Crime and the City: Reno, Nevada.
• How a little-known French region safeguarded the Louvre's treasures during World War II.
• Jewel thieves dropped this crushed crown as they fled the Louvre. Now, the historic headdress will be restored to its former glory.
• China has planted so many trees around the Taklamakan Desert that it's turned this "biological void" into a carbon sink.
• 5 hidden mountain towns in Italy that look straight out of a snow globe.
• Discover Buenos Aires through these 5 bookstores.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• How Thomas Harris "found" his iconic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter.
• Dorothy Parker: sharp-witted writer, bitter professor.
• A white historian claimed that Black people "had no history." Trailblazing scholar Carter G. Woodson dedicated his life to proving otherwise.
• The hidden women's labor behind modern literary masterpieces.
• Read about Ann Lowe, considered one of America's most significant clothing designers.
• Marcie R. Rendon's Letter from Minnesota: We are a people born and bred of organizers.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Five clever and compelling heroines in historical mystery series.
• 40+ excellent new books to pick up for Black History Month.
• What to watch: 6 British mystery series for fans of Vera.
• Travel to France and Italy with these novels.
• 12 of the best mystery shows on Apple TV+.
• 7 unusual Regency-Era hobbies that'll make you hug your smartphone.

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!