I took a spur-of-the-moment three-day vacation away from my computer. While it was nice, it's put me so far behind that I don't have time to think up an interesting introduction, so I'll share a photo and reassure you that absolutely nothing is wrong. (And I sincerely hope that everything's okay with you, too!) A Korean War-era troop carrier was our transportation on an all-day tour of Canyon de Chelly a few years ago. Enjoy the links! ►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄ How about we just read and let read ? QUIZ: Can you match the mystery novel to its opening line ? TikTok users report reading 50% more because of BookTok. UK's The Guardian wants to know: Could ChatGPT really write good book blurbs ? Speaking of blurbs, how about those overused words in book blurbs ? Josh Kendall on the life of a crime fiction editor . Meet red velvet cake before it was colorful. A cultural history of Barbie . Someone asked, "Can I be friends with people who don't read books ?" A brief history of long movies . ►Book Banning & Censorship◄ Amanda Gorman's poem for Biden's inauguration has been barred for younger children by a Florida school. Texas lawmakers pass a bill to ban certain books in libraries. It awaits the governor's signature. LGBTQ books are remaining in York County (Pennsylvania) library children's sections as the board tightens review rules . A new set of school book policies has been approved for Park County (Wyoming) School District 1. A U.S. Marine's memoir has been banned from the Hudsonville (Michigan) High School library. It's two to one in Saline County (Arkansas) billboard fight over book banning . A bill to restrict youth access to "sexually explicit" public library books advances in Louisiana. The Liberty Lake (Washington) mayor vetoed the city council's library ordinance . Wow... she actually thinks the library board should be in charge of its ordinances. Banning books in Connecticut . Massachusetts librarians are under attack amid a record number of national complaints and challenges. The Papillion La Vista (Nebraska) School District is reviewing numerous challenges to school library books. UK's The Guardian had this article: Illinois is set to become the first state to end book bans . (Makes me proud to have been born and raised in that state.) Librarians, publishers, and bookstores have joined together in a lawsuit over the Arkansas Library Obscenity" Law. ►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄ A diver unexpectedly discovered a Roman-era shipwreck carrying beautiful marble columns off the coast of Israel. More from Smithsonian Magazine . An ancient object unearthed in Jerusalem depicts something a cashier may hand you today. A nearly 2,000-year-old Roman villa -- complete with a private pool-- has been unearthed from a French cemetery. A man paid $6,000 for a pair of damaged stained glass windows and found out that they're actually worth a fortune. 8,000-year-old rock carvings in Arabia may be the world's oldest megastructure blueprints . Jackie Kennedy's pink suit is locked in a vault and will be hidden from public view until 2103. Here are surprising facts about the famous outfit. Archaeologists have discovered a lost world of 417 ancient Mayan cities buried in remote jungle and connected by miles of "superhighways". What was the longest-lasting civilization ? ►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄ What is the deadliest spider in the world ? A TikTok user shared a video of the bird that made a nest on her front door wreath . A camera attached to a cat's collar gives a cat's-eye view as they explore the outside world. A bird flu vaccine has been approved in an emergency effort to save California condors . These magnificent birds have had so much to contend with. A recent study says that older dogs that sleep badly may have dementia. Something that I didn't need to be told: Why birds and their songs are good for our mental health. The iconic ivory-billed woodpecker was feared extinct for decades-- until appearing on a Louisiana trail cam. Orcas have sunk three boats in Europe and appear to be teaching others to do the same. But why? ►The Wanderer◄ Three states have proposed a landmark deal to conserve the Colorado River . Let's hope it's not too little, too late. By fighting the ozone hole , we helped curb climate change-- and if we could do that, we can do more. Who knew? America's oldest yarn shop is in Provo, Utah. Naturally, I wasn't knitting when I lived there. Scientists have discovered microbes that could revolutionize plastic recycling . Thirty years on, the Hay Literary Festival is still thinking, talking, and laughing. I cherish the day I spent wandering the streets and bookshops of Hay-on-Wye. How about a map of 1,001 novels to show us where to find the real America? Feeling adventurous? The U.S. Government is giving away lighthouses . More from Smithsonian Magazine . Henri Matisse's stunning apartment overlooking the French Riviera is for sale. ►Fascinating Folk◄ Maud Allan -- Belle Epoque beauty, concert pianist, actress, dancer, and choreographer, and... spy? Helen Taussig , the doctor who pioneered pediatric cardiology and saved "blue babies". Tina Turner , Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, left an indelible mark on music history. 101-year-old Lou Conter is the last survivor of Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona . Dolly Parton has claimed three new Guinness World Record titles. ►I ♥ Lists◄ Seven criminally under-rated heist films that deserve another watch. Fifteen new thrillers releasing this summer . 35 must-read books of non-fiction by AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) authors . Twenty bits of groovy '60s slang . If you love Sherlock Holmes, pick up one of these historical mysteries . Ten grand estate mysteries . Eight must-read mysteries by Black authors . Eight mysteries set on the Titanic . 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! © Cathy G. Cole of Kittling: Books All rights reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Kittling: Books or Cathy's feed , be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
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