Strong Sense of Place | Travel Through Books

If you’ve ever wanted to go behind the scenes of the best theme parks in the world — Hello, Disney! — you’re going to love today’s bonus episode. We were thrilled to talk to friend-of-the-podcast Tasha Sounart about her job as Creative Director in the Theme Parks group of Pixar. In this delightful conversation, we talked to Tasha about what a day at Pixar is like, what inspires her creativity, and which Pixar world she’d like to visit. For more on Tasha, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Find Tasha on Mastodon: @[email protected] Tasha recommended the book Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths. Lauren Passell’s excellent podcast recommendation newsletter Podcast the Newsletter. Easy Homemade Caramel Popcorn. SSoP — Amusement Parks: Wheeeeeeeeeeeee! Transcript of this episode. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we’re excited about two new books — ‘Silver Nitrate’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and ‘The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale’ by Jon Klassen — then Dave shares a fascinating art project about phantom islands. Links Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Visit Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s website, Twitter, and Instagram. Gods of Jade and Shadow by by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen Follow Jon Klassen on Instagram. Jon Klassen’s Hat Box by Jon Klassen (the trilogy) I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen The scoop on phantom islands from Wikipedia, Atlas Obscura, and Explorers Web. Andrew Peckler’s Phantom Islands — A Sonic Atlas. The album Sounds from Phantom Islands. (The vinyl is sold out, but mp3s are available.) Andrew Peckler’s new musical release Cue. Transcript of this episode. The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The gates of an amusement park are a portal to a magical realm of thrill rides and fantasy worlds, larger-than-life characters, and the best portable foods on the planet. (We’re looking at you, corn dogs and kettle corn!) And it’s been that way since the beginning. The first quasi-amusement park entertained revelers in 1133 with merry-go-rounds, extravagant stage shows, gingerbread, sausages, and dancing in the streets. All that merriment made it easy to forget it was all meant to honor St. Bartholomew. Eventually, the rides got bigger (and faster and more hair-raising), the shows more over-the-top, and the spectacle more spectacular. Roller coasters! Carousels! Tilt-a-Whirls! Mickey and Donald and Cinderella! Legos! Quidditch! Funnel cakes! Turkey legs! And fireworks! In this episode, we take a fast romp through the history of amusement parks, revel in an essay by Russian writer Maxim Gorky, and celebrate the magical world of Walt Disney. Then we recommend five books that took us to amusement parks on the page, including a comedy-thriller set in Helsinki, a nonfiction exploration of delight, a dystopian disaster tale, and historical mysteries set in 1915 Chicago and 1911 Coney Island. Here are the books about amusement parks we recommend on the show: The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen, David Hackston (translator) Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Amusement Parks: Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a replay of an episode featuring books from beloved authors that are excellent summer reads: 'Killers of a Certain Age' by Deanna Raybourn and 'Fairy Tale' by Stephen King. Then Mel takes us around Europe with the Polish street artist Nespoon. BOOKS Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn https://bit.ly/3RBg1dW Fairy Tale by Stephen King https://bit.ly/3AVh01I DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK The Library of Lost Time https://bit.ly/3PIqMd8 NeSpoon on Instagram https://bit.ly/3ql5GHj NeSpoon on YouTube https://bit.ly/3BeS6M8 NeSpoon website https://nespoon.art Video of the mural at the Museum of Lace and Fashion https://youtu.be/XeFNYiYC0VE More about the square in Belorado, Spain https://bit.ly/3RmCL1s German video (with some English) featuring NeSpoon's various works https://youtu.be/ehh5A0AW-p4 Colossal magazine https://bit.ly/3etn6PC Five questions with NeSpoon https://bit.ly/3euaeZD Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3cNqmoy The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production!https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside -https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books — ‘The Only One Left’ by Riley Sager and ‘The Art Thief’ by Michael Finkel — then Dave shares the amazing story of the gilded age socialite Ida Wood. LINKS The Only One Left by Riley Sager. Visit Riley Sager’s website and Instagram. Riley talked about his book in this video from The Poisoned Pen bookshop. Smithsonian magazine: Why 19th-Century Axe Murderer Lizzie Borden Was Found Not Guilty. The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. Our podcast episode Maine: Lighthouses, Lobster Rolls, and the King of Horror. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel. Smithsonian magazine on Ida Wood: Everything Was Fake but Her Wealth. Wikipedia entires for Ida Wood and her husband Benjamin Wood. A personal essay: My Crazy Aunt Ida. Transcript of this episode. The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books — ‘100 Places to See After You Die’ by Ken Jennings and ‘What the Dead Know’ by Barbara Butcher — then Mel gets excited about postcards from around the world. LINKS 100 Places to See After You Die: A Travel Guide to the Afterlife by Ken Jennings. Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings. Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks by Ken Jennings What the Dead Know: Learning about Life as a New York City Death Investigator by Barbara Butcher. Visit the Postcrossing.com website, Twitter, and Instagram. Transcript of this episode. The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Argentina is so alluring. Rugged gauchos riding the pampas, the percussive heartbeat of the tango, the otherwordly beauty of Tierra del Fuego, the friendly passing of the yerba maté gourd. This South American country invites you to connect, to linger, to relax, and to explore. A blend of old-world Europe — Buenos Aires is known as the ‘Paris of South America’ — and local flair, Argentina is like nowhere else. City skylines boast neoclassical, art nouveau, art deco, and baroque architecture. The streets are filled with the seductive melodies of cumbia and tango. Cafés buzz with conversations in Spanish, Italian, German, and Arabic. And the food! Empanadas and dulce de leche and milanesa and the best beef in the world drizzled with chimichurri. There are breathtaking waterfalls, shockingly blue lakes, steppes, volcanoes, and glaciers that invite you to jump on a horse or bicycle, lace up your hiking boots, or bundle up for an ice climb. There are whales, seals, penguins, and the Train at the End of the World. In this episode, we talk about all the adventures that await in Argentina’s various geographical regions and learn the secret past of one of the most famous Argentines. Then we recommend five books that took us there on the page, including a historical novel set in the world of tango, a spy novel with feelings, a noir thriller set in 1950 Buenos Aires, an eerie short story collection, and a modern crime novel about the Buenos Aires elite. Here are the books about bookshops we recommend on the show: The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis Who is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht A Quiet Flame by Philip Kerr Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin Betty Boo by Claudia Piñeiro, Miranda France (translator) For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Argentina. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books — ‘Return to Valetto’ by Dominic Smith and ‘National Dish’ by Anya von Bremzen — then Dave shares a delightful poem about wonder by Reina del Cid. LINKS Return to Valetto by Dominic Smith. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith. Strong Sense of Place podcast: Museums: A Gathering of Muses, A Clutch of Curators. National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home by Anya von Bremzen. Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Anya Von Bremzen. The CrashCourse YouTube Channel. Video: Hank Green talks about the Big Bang. Reina del Cid’s website, Twitter, and Instagram. Video: Reina del Cid reciting her poem ‘Big Bang’. Strong Sense of Place podcast: New Orleans: Pass a Good Time. Transcript of this episode. The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books — ‘Unpacking for Greece’ by Sally Jane Smith and the new DK Eyewitness title ‘Europe by Train’ — then Mel gets excited about adaptations of ’Around the World in 80 Days. LINKS Unpacking for Greece by Sally Jane Smith. Sally Jane Smith’s website, Twitter, and Instagram. Europe by Train by DL Eyewitness. The super-handy train travel website The Man in Seat Sixty-One. Lonely Planet’s Guide to Train Travel in Europe. 80 Days website. Video: Why 80 Days is a perfect game. Around the World in 80 Days TV show and the show trailer. Strong Sense of Place podcast: Newsroom: From Clacking Typewriters to Viral Video. Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman. Transcript of this episode. The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Located on the east coast of Africa, Kenya is a fantastic place to explore Swahili culture and get close to exotic wildlife — lions, elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, impalas, gazelles, warthogs, wildebeests, and so many birds. The capital city of Nairobi sits on a plateau between the Indian Ocean (hello, picturesque beaches!) and the Great Rift Valley (lush green hills, blue lakes, hot pink flamingoes). Nairobi hums with energy and everything you’d expect in a major capital. The city also gets a little wild — literally — with Nairobi National Park inside the city limits. As you might expect in Africa, Kenyan history is basically two big buckets: before colonialism and after. The rich influences that led to the Swahili culture — Arab, Persian, Indian, and African — are all on display in cities like Mombasa. Wander the narrow alleys and take in the romantic architecture, then cruise on a white-sailed dhow to the nearby island of Zanzibar. Outside the cities, get ready for outdoor adventures with a jeep safari, a hike on Mt. Kenya, a cycling tour through Hell’s Gate (!), or a visit to a Maasai village to experience their traditional lifestyle. In this episode, we daydream about safari animals, listen to African music, and explore why Kenyans are such fantastic runners. Then we recommend five great books that transported us to Kenya on the page. Here are the books about Kenya we recommend on the show: Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor West with the Night by Beryl Markham The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o — and the audiobook When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed — and the audiobook A Guide to the Birds of East Africa: A Novel by Nicholas Drayson For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Kenya: Hurrying Has No Blessing. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books — The Power of Saying No by Vanessa Patrick and Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum — then Dave shares fun facts about Shakespeare’s First Folio. LINKS The Power of Saying No by Vanessa Patrick Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum SSoP Podcast Episode 53 — Theater: Act One, Scene I, Lights Up. Celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s First Folio. Video: Unboxing Shakespeare’s First Folio. The Book of William: How Shakespeare’s First Folio Conquered the World by Paul Collins. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Transcript of this episode. The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Tumbling Girl by Bridget Walsh and The West: A New History in Fourteen Lives by Naoíse Mac Sweeney. Then Mel shares the highlights of the first Pulitzer Prize winners. LINKS The Tumbling Girl by Bridge Walsh The West: A New History in Fourteen Lives by Naoíse Mac Sweeney Pulitzer Prize website All the winners organized by year. Herbert Bayard Swope’s Wikipedia page See photos of his mansion on Long Island here and here. Julia Ward Howe’s Wikipedia page. Josef Pulitzer and the Crowdfunding Campaign That Saved the Statue of Liberty. SSoP Podcast Episode 27 — Newsroom: From Clacking Typewriters to Viral Video. An American Childhood by Annie Dillard Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow The Crofter and the Laird by John McPhee _Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer Middlesex: A Novel_ by Jeffrey Eugenides The Shipping News: A Novel by Annie Proulx So Big by Edna Ferber Transcript of this episode. The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google the words’ history of theater,’ and you’ll get a timeline that begins in ancient Greece, circa the 6th century BCE, and high-kicks forward through time to Broadway and London’s West End. And that’s accurate. But it’s also missing the dramatic developments in storytelling techniques happening in other parts of the world — Japan, China, Indonesia, India — at the same time. While European peasants learned to walk the straight and narrow via morality plays, Asian theater-goers explored mythology via shadow puppets, dance, and dramatic masks. In this episode, we travel the world (and through time) for a make-believe theater festival that takes us from Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London to the lights of Broadway, then to South America and Indonesia. We drop in on the premier of Fiddler on the Roof, learn about an avant-garde approach to theater meant to build empathy, and are dazzled by puppets that bring kings and demons to life. Then we recommend five great books that took us straight to our seats in the theater, including a novel about a very bad actor making his Broadway debut, a lively retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, a peek inside the creative minds behind beloved musicals, historical fiction about Bram Stoker’s time at London’s legendary Lyceum Theatre, and an unputdownable slice of dark academia with tender theater kids at its heart. Here are the books about theater we recommend on the show: Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke Audiobook: A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built by Jack Viertel If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio Audiobook: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Theater: Act One, Scene I, Lights Up. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Housekeeping note: There will be no 'Library of Lost Time' next week. The next episode will appear on Friday, June 2. 'Strong Sense of Place' will appear before then, on Monday, the 29th of May, with our episode about the theater. Thank you! In this episode, we get excited about two books: 'Tasting History' by Max Miller and 'This Isn't Going to End Well' by Daniel Wallace. Then Mel transports us to a street in Vilnius, Lithuania that’s made for book lovers. LINKS Tasting History by Max Miller This Isn’t Going to End Well by Daniel Wallace Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace Video: Big Fish movie trailer. Tasting History with Max Miller on YouTube Atlas Obscura: Literature Street in Vilnius, Lithuania Video: Tour of Literature Street The wild ride of Adam Mickiewicz’s Wikipedia page Pan Tadeusz; or, The last foray in Lithuania by Adam Mickiewicz on Gutenberg.org Video: The Origin of Pan Tadeusz Video: Pan Taduesz movie trailer Mel’s Bigos recipe Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perched in the top-right corner of the US, Maine is wrapped in a snuggly hug from Canada and bravely faces the crashing Atlantic. If bracing sea air, glorious pine trees, and fresh-from-the-ocean seafood is your thing, you’re going to want to visit asap. Maine’s 5000 miles (8000 km) of coastline mean there are dozens of lighthouses, ample excuses to get out in a boat (kayaking along the Maine Island trail, anyone?), and opportunities to see puffins, seals, and whales in their natural habitat. Or set your sights on the forest! The Pine Tree State is perfect for honing your Disney princess skills with moose, black bears, white-tailed deer, river otters, foxes, and other furry forest creatures. When you’re ready to get cozy with a book, there’s the poetry of Longfellow, the delight of Charlotte’s Web, and the malevolent Pennywise, who is the terrifying and brilliant invention of Maine’s number one literary hero, Stephen King. In this episode, we get hungry for lobster rolls and Maine blueberries, learn some funny island names, and honor a delightful ambassador to Maine. Then we recommend five books that took us to Maine on the page, including a Gothic coming-of-age story, two vastly different (but unputdownable) memoirs, a literary crime novel, and a sweet story about the magical power of love and the Northern Lights. Here are the books about Maine we recommend on the show: Grange House by Sarah Blake The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel The Midcoast by Adam White Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches by John Hodgman Almost, Maine by John Cariani For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Maine: Lighthouses, Lobster Rolls, and the King of Horror. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin and The Partisan by Patrick Worrall. Then guest Jeremy Anderberg shares a fun website to find great new-to-you titles. LINKS The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin The Partisan by Patrick Worrall Video: The history of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Video: A tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. An Explosive Netflix Documentary About the $500 Million Isabella Stewart Gardner Heist. Netflix: This is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist. Portrait of Isabella Stewart Gardner by John Singer Sargent. Isabella Stewart Gardner ‘Come to Tea’ mug. Jeremy Anderberg’s Read More Books, The Big Read, and Instagram. Shepherd.com Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin and You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith. Then Dave tells the tale of remarkable women involved in London’s criminal underworld. LINKS Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith Maggie Smith’s website and Twitter Legal Design Podcast: Fighting Crime by Design with Lorraine Gamman Wikipedia: Shirley Pitts Wikipedia: Alice Diamond Gone Shopping: The Story of Shirley Pitts, Queen of Thieves by Lorraine Gamman The Guardian: Girl Gang’s Grip on London Underworld Revealed Criminal Secret Society: The Story of Forty Elephants Video: Diamond Annie and the Forty Elephants — The All-Female Gang That Terrorized London Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's been a bridge over the Thames in London for about 2000 years. In the time since its founding during the Roman Empire, London has become one of the world's most diverse cities. Today, it's as well known for its Indian food (try the restaurants in Brick Lane) and Middle Eastern cuisine (visit Edgeware Road) as it is for a proper afternoon tea (finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, and endless pots of tea). It's also a book lover's paradise with museums dedicated to literary classics — Hello, Sherlock Holmes! Good day, Mr. Dickens! – along with the British Library (don't miss the tour), Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey, and Shakespeare's Globe where you can watch a play in a faithful reproduction of the Bard's theater. In this episode, we clear up any confusion about London's main bridges, make a case for why you should visit the Tower's Ravenmaster (and his six raven friends), and learn about the mad skills of London cab drivers. Then we recommend five great books that took us there on the page, including a twisty courtroom drama, a time-traveling guidebook, a murder mystery set in London's North End, a beloved urban fantasy, and a modern classic with an unlikely hero. Here are the books about London we recommend on the show: Something to Hide by Elizabeth George Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan London: A Travel Guide Through Time by Matthew Green Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of London: The Tower, Tudors, and a Nice Cuppa Tea. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Never Sleep by Fred Van Lente and The Wager: A Talk of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann. Then Mel shares tips for getting great poetry into your life. LINKS Never Sleep by Fred Van Lente Girl in Disguise by Greer Macallister The Wager: A Talk of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann How Kate Warne, America’s First Woman Detective, Foiled a Plot to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln Ridiculous History Podcast: Kate Warne, the Pinkerton Detective Who Saved Abe Lincoln The Atlantic: Reading a Poem: 20 Strategies Poets.org: How to Read a Poem The Writing Center: How to Read a Poem Library of Congress: How to Read a Poem Out Loud Instagram: Poetry is Not a Luxury Instagram: Seeing the Poem Instagram: Poets.org The Guardian: Poem of the Week Poetry Foundation: Poem of the Day Poets.org: Poem of the Day The Slowdown: This podcast from former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith features a daily reading of a poem and a brief reflection on its meaning and significance. Poetry Foundation: Mary Oliver Nikita Gill on Twitter and Instagram Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal and A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher. Then Mel shares her excitement about an unfinished Brontë novel that got finished. LINKS Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher J. Ryan Stradal’s website, Instagram, and Twitter The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland Our podcast episode Hotels: The Liminal Space with M&Ms in the Mini-Bar Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Emma Brown: A Novel From the Unfinished Manuscript by Emma Boylan & Charlotte Brontë Wikipedia entry: Emma Brown The New York Times’ review of Emma Brown by Emma Boylan Librivox recording of the Emma fragment (Pro tip: skip the Preface and go directly to Chapter 1.) Emma Brown by Clare Boylan on Internet Archive Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you were born anytime after, say, 1974, you probably associate Lebanon and its capital city of Beirut with political strife, violence, and bombed-out buildings. But this beautiful, misunderstood country is far more than its troubled past. Lebanon is a tiny nation on the eastern side of the Mediterranean. Its capital city of Beirut was once known as the Paris of the East, a holiday getaway for movie stars, moguls, and spies. Lebanon’s coast is still a dreamy beach destination with long stretches of sand — or dramatic rock formations — lined with palm trees on one side and perfect turquoise-blue water on the other. The name Lebanon comes from the Semitic word lbn in reference to the snow-kissed Mount Lebanon range. The interior’s rugged mountains are great for winter skiing and hiking among the fragrant cedar trees during the warmer months. You can also visit wineries, explore ancient ruins, dance the dabka, and eat delicious things like hummus, kibbeh, kofta, tabbouleh, and baklava — a.k.a. some of Mel’s favorite food in the world. In this episode, we briefly walk through the long history of Lebanon, delve into amazing stories of sibling rivalry and bank robbery, and Mel shares the story of her Lebanese great-grandmother. Then we recommend great books that took us to Lebanon on the page. Here are the books about Lebanon we recommend on the show: House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East by Anthony Shadid Between Beirut and the Moon by A. Naji Bakhti The Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride through Europe and the Middle East by Rebecca Lowe Rose Water and Orange Blossoms: Fresh & Classic Recipes from my Lebanese Kitchen by Maureen Abood For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Lebanon: WORDS. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox and The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty. Then Dave talks about how to help your non-podcast-listening friends become podcast fans. LINKS The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty Hester Fox’s website and Instagram Shannon Chakraborty’s website and Twitter City of Brass By Shannon Chakraborty Our podcast episode Egypt: Ancient Antiquities, Fiery Djinn, and the Lure of the Nile. Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown Our podcast episode The Sea: Tales of Poets and Pirates This American Life WTF with Marc Maron RadioLab Shut Up and Sit Down Twenty Thousand Hertz What Should I Read Next? with Anne Bogel The Perks of Being a Book Lover Films to be Buried With with Brett Goldstein Podchaser Realm.fm The Library of Lost Time episode: Realm Podcasts & Two New Books Tink Media: Adopt-a-Listener Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Jane & Edward by Melodie Edwards and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Then Dave invites us all to get delightfully nerdy about punctuation. LINKS Jane & Edward by Melodie Edwards Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark! by Florence Hazrat Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark by Cecelia Watson Melodie Edwards website Excerpt of the novel Jane & Edward in print and audio Jane & Edward readers’ guide Sometimes it’s too much! But the exclamation point has a point. (gift link) Video of LL Cool J on The Electric Company, rapping about punctuation. Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: - Our site - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sri Lanka is known for its rich, full-bodied Ceylon tea, fishermen on stilts, and staggering beauty. If you want to visit an elephant sanctuary, trek to a mountaintop monastery, or swim (and surf) in crystal-blue waters, this teardrop-shaped island in the Bay of Bengal is the place to go. In contrast to its warm, soothing climate is its long history of civil war. The conflict that raged from 1983 until 2009 between the mostly-Sinhalese government and the insurgent Tamil Tigers had a profound and lasting effect on the population. But none of that has curbed Sri Lankans’ welcoming temperament nor the island’s natural charms. There’s world-class street food — all manner of crunchy, savory fried things, spicy curries, and tropical fruits like nothing you’ve ever seen before. There are sparkling waterfalls, whale watching and leopard sightings, and an iconic train ride through lush green jungles dotted with colorful flowers. All giving truth to the name Sri (Resplendent) Lanka (Island). In this episode, we explore Sri Lankan legend, get nostalgic about Duran Duran, hear the details of a remarkable airplane adventure, and get very curious about wood fruit. Then we recommend five great books that took us to Sri Lanka on the page, including an adventure memoir by the world’s best travel writer, an unusual crime story, a colorful cookbook, and two dream-like novels set during the civil war years, one of which Mel clutched to her chest in a hug. Here are the books about bookshops we recommend on the show: Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje The Hamilton Case by Michelle de Kretser Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka by Cynthia Shanmugalingam Elephant Complex: Travels In Sri Lanka by John Gimlette The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Sri Lanka: Remarkable, Relentless, Resplendent. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Girl with Twenty Fingers by Kate Mueser and White Cat, Black Dog: Stories by Kelly Link. Then Mel introduces everyone to the man teaching modern foodies how to cook like Jane Austen. LINKS The Girl with Twenty Fingers by Kate Mueser White Cat, Black Dog: Stories by Kelly Link Kate Mueser’s website Kate Mueser on YouTube talking about Mozart and Munich. Kelly Link’s website and her bookstore Book Moon Books. The Prague Sonata by Bradford Morrow Magic for Beginners: Stories by Kelly Link. Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link. Stranger Things Happen: Stories by Kelly Link. Regency Cook website and Instagram. Regency Cook schedule of upcoming classes. Video tour of The Regency Townhouse kitchen. Everything You Wanted to Know About Regency London. Why Are So Many Romances Set in the Regency Period? Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Company by J.M. Varese and Sweet Enough: A Dessert Cookbook by Alison Roman. Then Dave shares stories from a recent trip to the Shetland Islands. LINKS The Company by J.M. Varese Sweet Enough: A Dessert Cookbook by Alison Roman J.M. Varese’s website and Instagram. Arsenic and Old Tastes Made Victorian Wallpaper Deadly. The Dickens Project at UCLA. Interview with Alison Roman, author of Sweet Enough. _Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings by Yossy Arefi Shetland with Laurie, plus her Instagram and Patreon. Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Facebook Twitter Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bookshop is a special (maybe enchanted) place found all over the world and staffed by booksellers who seem to have a preternatural ability to put just the right book in your hands. People have been buying and selling books since about 300 BCE. During the latter part of the Roman empire, when all the best homes included a personal library, the book trade was boomin’. Back then, shops posted a list of titles for sale on their doors. The kind of store we think of when someone says ‘bookshop’ was initially tied closely to printing. The first booksellers were also editors and printers who made the books, then sold them to the reading public. Eventually, those specialties split apart: Publishers worked with authors to create books, and booksellers placed them into the hands of readers. And we’re all better for it. In this episode, we talk about the world’s oldest bookshop and discuss some remarkable bookstores around the world, including a bookshop in paradise and Scotland’s National Book Town. We also learn about a shocking bookstore-related medical phenomenon! Then we recommend great books that took us inside the world of bookshops. Here are the books about bookshops we recommend on the show: The Sentence by Louise Erdrich Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount Spine Poems by Annette Dauphin Simon Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner Booked to Die by John Dunning The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes. Transcript of Bookshops: Mostly Paper and Magic. Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Speak for the Dead by Amy Tector and I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai. Then Mel shares a story about the Gotham Book Prize that will warm your literature-loving heart. LINKS - Speak for the Dead by Amy Tector - Amy’s Substack - The Newburyport Literary Festival - Bustle interview with Rebbeca Makkai - Amy Tector’s awesome Substack - I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai - The Gotham Book Prize - The 2023 Finalists - Get a $25 gift card when you buy all 11 finalists - The story of P&T Knitwear - Transcript of this episode The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: - Our site - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mountains of Jamaica rise up out of the turquoise-blue Caribbean. From those jaggy peaks, rolling hills — covered in lush green rainforests — taper down to soft-sand beaches along the coast. It makes perfect sense that the first Jamaican inhabitants — the Taino from South America — gave the island a name that means ‘Land of Wood and Water.’ It’s all as if paradise is beckoning you to come, sit, relax. Music floats on the air in both the rhythmic lilt of reggae music and Jamaican patois, a creole language that combines elements of English, Spanish, and African languages. Yes, there are pirates in Jamaica’s past, along with Spanish conquistadors, British interlopers, and a history of slavery. But Jamaica is now a cultural superpower, sharing its feel-good music (with a message), colorful cuisine, star athletes, and multicultural gifts with the world. In this episode, we explore the so-literal-they’re-poetic names of some Jamaican towns, sing along to our favorite Bob Marley tunes, dig into the history of jerk chicken, and spy on Ian Fleming’s Jamaican estate. Then we recommend five great books that took us to Jamaica on the page. Here are the books we recommended in the show: Black Cake: A Novel by Charmaine Wilkerson https://bit.ly/3XSUjVH If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780374605988 Black Heart of Jamaica by Julia Golding https://amzn.to/3Yx6cRK Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook by Melissa Thompson https://bit.ly/3ZjfUrj West Winds: Recipes, History and Tales from Jamaica by Riaz Phillips https://bit.ly/3YXmkg9 The Last Warner Woman by Kei Miller - audio https://amzn.to/3Yx6JmI The Last Warner Woman by Kei Miller - print https://bit.ly/41oF4GP For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2023–03–06-jamaica Transcript: http://strongsenseofplace.com/transcriptions/47_jamaica_transcript Do you enjoy our show and website? Do you love bonus content? Do you enjoy chatting with other book lovers? Please consider supporting our work on Patreon! You’ll get access to bonus goodies, input on which destinations we cover each season, and become part of the Strong Sense of Place community. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Get all the info you need right here. https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace You can always find us at: - Our site - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: ‘Weyward’ by Emilia Hart and ‘Psych: The Story of the Human Mind’ by Paul Bloom. Then Dave tells the story a recently solved code that reveals new secrets of a famous Queen. LINKS Weyward by Emilia Hart https://bit.ly/3KoeYh8 Psych: The Story of the Human Mind by Paul Bloom https://bit.ly/3Z5zJSY Video: Emilia Hart shares three books that inspired her https://bit.ly/3xFRA79 Paul Bloom’s TED talks https://bit.ly/3ErSszY National Geographic on the decoded letters https://on.natgeo.com/3KsKpqI From Cryptologia: Deciphering Mary Stuart’s Lost Letters from 1578–1584 https://bit.ly/3XS76Yq Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3KgOhuO The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: - Our site - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor and A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawiziak. Then Mel talks about the fantastic Virginia Woolf exhibit at the New York Public Library. LINKS Joseph O’Connor reading from his book https://bit.ly/3ScdKHE Excerpt from A Mystery of Mysteries https://bit.ly/3k5NzWF Virginia Woolf: A Modern Mind at the NYPL https://on.nypl.org/3EoKqrU Audioguide and images from Virginia Woolf: A Modern Mind https://on.nypl.org/3XM7zLI 5 Things We Learned From the NYPL’s Virginia Woolf Exhibition https://bit.ly/3EnIPm9 Virginia Woolf’s essay about the Brontë Parsonage https://bit.ly/3lKhvrH Video of the Virginia Woolf collection at NYPL https://bit.ly/3xEeg82 Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3IMIoEF The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can find us at: - Our site - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you’re ready to let the good times roll, there’s no place like New Orleans to cut loose, indulge in local grub, sip something intoxicating, and soak up the atmosphere while tapping your toes to some of the best music on the planet. New Orleans was born as a port city in 1718. What set New Orleans apart then (and now) is how it created a unique culture from the diverse people who populated the city. New Orleans got its defining characteristics — a sense of hospitality, its food, its music — from enslaved and formerly enslaved people, Native Americans, and immigrants from France, Spain, the Caribbean, and Italy. There’s a lot to see and do, but if we’re being honest, the real draws are food and music — and the annual street party that brings them together: Mardi Gras. In this episode, we dig into a little bit of history and a whole lot of music and food, including the magic of jambalaya and the difference between cajun and creole. We also tell you how to find the best parades during Mardi Gras and get real about a haunted house. Then we recommend great books that took us there on the page: The Axeman’s Jazz by Ray Celestin https://bit.ly/3Jt5uAE The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings https://bit.ly/3wJOYVy Turkey and the Wolf: Flavor Trippin’ in New Orleans by Mason Hereford, JJ Goode https://bit.ly/3kYvDNs Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum https://amzn.to/3JpVb0b The Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael Zapata https://bit.ly/3XS5Bu6 For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2023–02–20-new_orleans Transcript: https://strongsenseofplace.com/transcriptions/46_new_orleans_transcript Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace You can always find us at: - Our site - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson and All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley. Then Dave tells a (true) tall tale about an extraordinary map of the New World. LINKS Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson https://bit.ly/3ljcA0O All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley https://bit.ly/3jHKagu Q&A with Benjamin Stevenson https://bit.ly/3JScXJW Tour the Met with author Patrick Bingle https://bit.ly/40CAdBA Map of Juan de la Cosa on Wikipedia https://bit.ly/3ljcFBE Map of Juan de la Cosa on Google Arts & Culture https://bit.ly/3Xhi35x Madrid Naval Museum https://bit.ly/3x8KDLA Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3kNeLJz The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo and Mr. Breakfast by Jonathan Carroll. Mel shares the exciting news about the return of an iconic 20th-century train. LINKS Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo https://amzn.to/3DNfbGn Mr. Breakfast by Jonathan Carroll https://bit.ly/3XePHsz Excerpt from Master Slave Husband Wife https://bit.ly/3X9KhPu CBS Sunday Morning interview with Ilyon Woo https://cbsn.ws/40FRERF Hudson River Rail Excursions https://bit.ly/3I7TgMM Video excursion on the vintage train https://youtu.be/LpwCQX46h7A Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/40CQCGb The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get all dreamy-eyed about everything that makes Spain a fantastic place to visit. We get curious about a unique but frequently overlooked statue on the streets of Madrid and nerd out on Spain's distinctive languages (and cuisine and art). Then we recommend great books that took us there on the page: When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture by Matt Goulding The Seville Communion by Arturo Pérez-Reverte The Ladies-in-Waiting by Santiago Garcia & Javier Olivares The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón Spain is a loving assault on all your senses. It's big, it's bold, it's colorful — and yet. It's also intimately beautiful and ripe for quiet, perfect moments. Snuggled onto the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Spain is not just one thing. It's the imposing Pyrenees in the north and the sunny, lazy beaches of the coasts. It's the spiky Gothic architecture of Barcelona and the intricate design of a Moorish cathedral in Córdoba. The classics hung on the walls of the Prado in Madrid and the playfulness of Dalí's home in sun-dappled Cadaqués. You can marvel at Gaudi's nature-inspired architecture in La Sagrada Familia or sit peacefully in a sun-dappled square in Seville. A little exploration yields big surprises and rewards. But wherever you go, there are a few things on which you can rely: an enthusiasm for the good life, friendly people, and ridiculously delicious things to eat and drink. There's seafood fresh from the coastal waters and patatas bravas, crisp and hot from the fryer. Perhaps you'll start your day with a rich cup of hot chocolate (hello, churros!) or dig into a potato-and-egg tortilla any time. You can sip spicy-sweet vermouth in a bar with friends and get romantic over a smooth glass of Andalusian wine. Or raise of glass of cava — and stamp your feet with flamenco rhythms — in celebration of simply being alive. For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2023-02-06-spain Transcript: http://strongsenseofplace.com/transcriptions/45_spain_transcript Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: 'Cold People' by Tom Rob Smith and 'Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life' by Dacher Keltner. Then Mel shares the delicious history of Berlin's currywurst. LINKS Cold People by Tom Rob Smith https://bit.ly/3WDixCv Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner https://bit.ly/3Hy5UVf Currywurst History https://bit.ly/3XEjwnt Currywurst Recipe https://bit.ly/3kGY3vv Top 20 Hangover Foods https://bit.ly/3H9VoBR Herta Heuwer Memorial Plaque https://bit.ly/3XSlxfq Herta Heuwer Google Doodle https://bit.ly/3H7Co7l Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3HvMlg7 The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've put together an itinerary of 12 fantastic destinations with stops in every region of the globe. So pack your bags for the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and two dramatically different spots in the eastern US — plus three super-fun themes. Get ready to explore customs, history, scenery, food, art, and more — all you need is your favorite reading chair and your curiosity. To see stunning photos of our Season 5 destinations, visit our blog at http://strongsenseofplace.com/2023/01/30/ssop-podcast-season5-announcing-12-exciting-destinations/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: 'The Mitford Affair' by Marie Benedict and 'Creative ACT: A Way of Being' by Rick Rubin. Then Dave talks about the 'Bad High School Analogies' meme and The Washington Post column 'Style Invitational.' LINKS The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict https://bit.ly/404OeaM Creative ACT: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin https://amzn.to/3YeAIzV About The Mitford Sisters https://bit.ly/3XZivG2 Nancy Mitford's Two Good Novels https://bit.ly/3kJC8Uw Rick Rubin on the Broken Record podcast https://youtu.be/0qD6vLIxqE4 The Style Invitational https://wapo.st/3kGlRQ2 Bad High School Analogies https://bit.ly/3DgbZmt Transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/3kIo25N The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: 'Really Good, Actually' by Monica Heisey and 'How to Sell a Haunted House' by Grady Hendrix. Then Dave explains why the Tollywood movie 'RRR' is the best action-adventure movie since 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' LINKS Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey https://bit.ly/3ZskOD4 Monica Heisey's perilous trip to Paris https://bit.ly/3CFuLUe Read an excerpt of Really Good, Actually https://bit.ly/3itfjnb I Can't Believe It's Not Better https://amzn.to/3IkaTcY How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix https://bit.ly/3X2lCx9 Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix https://bit.ly/3GvrOGW My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix https://bit.ly/3jZhj6V The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix https://bit.ly/3vQrM7F RRR on Netflix https://bit.ly/3vQfX16 The real story of the two freedom fighters in RRR https://bit.ly/3CDBWMA 5 Reasons to Keep ‘RRR’ on Your Radar https://bit.ly/3GVEicm Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3WWvicm The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: 'City Under One Roof' by Iris Yamashita and 'Endurance: 100 Tales of Survival, Adventure and Exploration' by Levison Wood. Then Mel talks about why Realm is her favorite new place to find awesome fiction podcasts. LINKS City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita https://bit.ly/3Zp5HdO Endurance by Levison Wood https://amzn.to/3ir27z8 Walking the Himalayas by Levison Wood https://amzn.to/3Xf4ELq Walking the Nile by Levison Wood https://bit.ly/3CC4K8j Interview with Iris Yamashita https://youtu.be/hMoK9Y_PmoU Realm.fm https://www.realm.fm/ Marigold Breach https://bit.ly/3CCntAG The Witch Who Came in From the Cold https://bit.ly/3vRSTix Spark Hunter https://bit.ly/3X1hzBa Jameela Jamil and Manny Jacinto https://youtu.be/5L_oJTukaIA Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3Znk8iu The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: 'The Bandit Queens' by Parini Shroff and 'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir. Then Dave explains why The Extraordinary Attorney Woo is must-see TV. LINKS The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff https://bit.ly/3FofNST Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir https://bit.ly/3uMqJF3 The Martian by Andy Weir https://bit.ly/3HxkBbi Book trailer for The Bandit Queens https://youtu.be/GLujn_PsuFo Mel's review of The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht https://bit.ly/3W4MbRo Extraordinary Attorney Woo trailer https://youtu.be/MxeXECe2t-c Extraordinary Attorney Woo on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/title/81518991 AV Club on Extraordinary Attorney Woo https://bit.ly/3uKKsVx Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3uO1BxS The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: 'The Snow Ball' by Brigid Brophy and 'Nine Liars' by Maureen Johnson. Then Mel and Dave share poems to usher in the new year. LINKS The Snow Ball by Brigid Brophy https://bit.ly/3uOllRK Mozart the Dramatist by Brigid Brophy https://amzn.to/3HxjQis Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson https://bit.ly/3j088Tt Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson & Jay Cooper https://bit.ly/3iVujKq The Box in The Woods by Maureen Johnson https://bit.ly/3Fqf0AZ Tell Me by Kim Addonizio https://bit.ly/3BuGkNa Swearing Smoking Drinking & Kissing by Kim Addonizio https://amzn.to/3hnZdL6 You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith https://bit.ly/3Fo6Rgj these are the words by Nikita Gill https://amzn.to/3q2wY5f Panel discussion of Brigid Brophy's work https://youtu.be/YZHQl2cIMtg Kim Addonizio's website https://bit.ly/3FOLFli Kim Addonizio on Poetry Foundation https://bit.ly/3YkKReV Maggie Smith's website https://bit.ly/3Hxu02B Maggie Smith on Twitter https://bit.ly/3HzoCvY Nikita Gill on Twitter https://twitter.com/nktgill Nikita Gill on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nikita_gill Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3FpsnBp The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books: 'The Family Game' by Catherine Steadman and 'The Explorer's Library: Books That Inspire Wonder' by Atlas Obscura. Then Mel discusses The Big Read book club led by writer Jeremy Anderberg. BOOKS The Family Game by Catherine Steadman https://bit.ly/3GAd0bF The Explorer's Library: Books That Inspire Wonder by Atlas Obscura https://bit.ly/3ACthsM Atlas Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/ Gastro Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/gastro DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Read More Books newsletter by Jeremy Anderberg https://bit.ly/3XAeYPo The Big Read 2023 Schedule https://bit.ly/3XrKq1W Get 20% off your first year of The Big Read https://bit.ly/3TZHuH8 Jeremy Anderberg on Instagram https://bit.ly/3ExlYDF Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3EqZbJX The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about three books: 'The Christmas Party' by Georgette Heyer, 'The Christmas Murder Game' by Alexandra Benedict, and 'The Writer's Journey' by Travis Elborough. Then Dave shares a fantastic resource for finding the best books of the year. BOOKS The Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer https://amzn.to/3VjHeUl The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict https://bit.ly/3tXkhKR The Writer's Journey: In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats by Travis Elborough https://bit.ly/3UYd3m1 Our History of the 20th Century by Travis Elborough https://amzn.to/3i3d6OT A Traveller's Year: 365 Days of Travel Writing in Diaries, Journals, and Letters by Travis Elborough https://amzn.to/3U6QEBO Atlas of the Unexpected by Travis Elborough https://amzn.to/3VdC3oS Atlas of Vanishing Places by Travis Elborough https://bit.ly/3ESRLQU Rollergirl: Totally True Tales from the Track https://amzn.to/3AFsIhN DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK The Largehearted Boy List of Online 'Best of 2022' Book Lists https://bit.ly/3VfxSsI Gosford Park trailer https://bit.ly/3AzRyQ0 Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3GCiGSk The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books: 'Murder at Black Oaks' by Phillip Margolin and 'Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius' by Nick Hornby. Then Mel makes her case that 'Betty Crocker's Cooky Book' is the best cookie cookbook on the planet. LINKS Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin https://bit.ly/3XlQLMz Gone But Not Forgotten by Phillip Margolin https://amzn.to/3i4OHIE Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius by Nick Hornby https://bit.ly/3VbrEKE High Fidelity by Nick Hornby https://bit.ly/3TZ3CkL About a Boy by Nick Hornby https://bit.ly/3ETkkxJ 31 Songs by Nick Hornby https://amzn.to/3UWQLkl The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby https://amzn.to/3TYY61H The Joys of Incorporating Golden Age Cliches Into Contemporary Fiction https://bit.ly/3EvCZOB Betty Crocker's Cooky Book https://bit.ly/3Et3owA Who was Betty Crocker? https://to.pbs.org/3ETlwkH The etymology of cookie vs cooky https://bit.ly/3hTxPEu Russian Teacake recipe https://bit.ly/3OpDRZT Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3ExQA82 The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books: 'The Secret History of Christmas' by Bill Bryson and 'Wayward (Wanderers Book 2)' by Chuck Wendig. Then Mel takes us to the Germany of the Brothers Grimm. BOOKS The Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson https://amzn.to/3TEvPgI Wayward (Wanderers Book 2) by Chuck Wendig https://bit.ly/3hOcD2M A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson https://bit.ly/3Ao8f0M Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson https://bit.ly/3TLzJUX Wanderers by Chuck Wendig https://bit.ly/3EHNJem Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel https://bit.ly/3V8gq9I The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern https://bit.ly/3V9wYhv DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK German Fairy Tale Route website https://bit.ly/3hSud5C Guide to the German Fairy Tale Route https://bit.ly/3gfWcf6 Grimmwelt Museum https://bit.ly/3V23MJ6 Wilhelmshöhe Palace https://bit.ly/3EhFpAp Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe: Monument to Hercules https://bit.ly/3UKEIGT Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe: Fountains https://bit.ly/3ggZnTY Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3Ap0ebV The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter Instagram Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We know you don't all celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving, but it's never a bad idea to express gratitude and devote a day to being cozy. In that spirit, we've made a little gift for you to show our appreciation. Watching the movie 'Home for the Holidays' is an annual Thanksgiving tradition in our house. The film is based on a brilliant short story by Chris Radant that is, sadly, out of print. (Although you can read it online here - https://bit.ly/3hVgfzW.) Both the story and the film tell the tale of a family Thanksgiving in all of its gluttonous, annoying, loving glory. It's a celebration of affection, patience, and forgiveness. Since you can't get the story as an audiobook, Mel went into our blanket fort recording booth to read the story out loud, and then Dave worked some editing magic. Boom! We made our first homegrown 'audiobook.' We're very grateful that you've all joined us on our Strong Sense of Place reading-traveling adventures. We hope you enjoy the story! * * * * * * * * * * * Read the short story by Chris Radant on Internet Archive https://bit.ly/3TZ8nLc Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter Instagram Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books: 'Galatea' by Madeline Miller and 'Novelist as a Vocation' by Haruki Murakami. Then Dave recommends three fun boardgames for the holiday season — or anytime. BOOKS Galatea by Madeline Miller https://bit.ly/3E9BZiY xo Orpheus: Fifty New Myth by Kate Bernheimer https://bit.ly/3gfQqKs Circe by Madeline Miller https://bit.ly/3hRV0yV Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami https://bit.ly/3GkNUgN Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami https://bit.ly/3TMJUIO Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami https://bit.ly/3gd3kJc DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Super Mega Lucky Box Video review - https://bit.ly/3g9sg4x Buy - https://amzn.to/3AnfyWF So Clover Video review - https://bit.ly/3EEOSTD Buy - https://amzn.to/3tEjZIM The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Video review - https://bit.ly/3XdopDU Buy - https://amzn.to/3hSgxYv Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3EjRbdF The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter Instagram Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books: 'The Cloisters' by Katy Hays and 'The Best American Short Stories 2022' edited by Andrew Sean Greer & Heidi Pitlor. Then Mel recommends a new bookish advice column. BOOKS The Cloisters by Katy Hays https://bit.ly/3FINRew The Best American Short Stories 2022 by Andrew Sean Greer & Heidi Pitlor https://bit.ly/3DzPKHs Less by Andrew Sean Greer https://bit.ly/3Wvf9uw Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer https://bit.ly/3U5SNhU The Best American Food Writing 2022 by Sohla El-Waylly & Silvia Killingsworth https://bit.ly/3U2HruW The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022 by Jess Walter & Steph Cha https://bit.ly/3UoYKpV The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2022 by Jaime Green & Ayana Elizabeth Johnson https://bit.ly/3T2hLxf The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 by John Joseph Adams & Rebecca Roanhorse https://bit.ly/3Wkv8vs The Best American Essays 2022 by Robert Atwan & Alexander Chee https://bit.ly/3DTtzgR Lucinella by Lore Segal https://amzn.to/3T0j6Vm Mirror, Shoulder, Signal by Dorthe Nors, Misha Hoekstra (translator) https://bit.ly/3fvPeCp Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Painter https://bit.ly/3Wq0aSO DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Read all the Dear Dorothea columns https://bit.ly/3T1xZXo The announcement of the Dear Dorothea column https://bit.ly/3zFqrCC What Should I Read Next podcast https://bit.ly/2EMgZSP Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3DXxUzH The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter Instagram Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new books: 'Pretty Dead Queens' by Alexa Donne and 'Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took on a World at War' by Deborah Cohen. Then Mel explains why she thinks you'll enjoy the newsletter devoted to all things Inspector Gamache. BOOKS Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne https://bit.ly/3U1XBEZ Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne https://amzn.to/3frZls7 Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took on a World at War by Deborah Cohen https://bit.ly/3Uk63z8 Still Life https://bit.ly/3FGQYmV The Foulest Things https://bit.ly/3h8E7zV A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny https://bit.ly/3zEG5OK DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Sign up for Notes from Three Pines https://bit.ly/3Ul7bSX Follow the founders of Notes from Three Pines: Elizabeth Held https://twitter.com/ElizabethHeld Aya Martin Seaver https://twitter.com/ayamseaver Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3U3Mpr9 The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter Instagram Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices