Strong Sense of Place: Recent Episodes
David Humphreys dave@strongsenseofplace.com
One lifetime is too short to visit everywhere and meet everyone. That‘s why we love books with a strong sense of place — they let us travel the world in our imagination. In each episode of our podcast, we explore one destination and talk about what makes that place different from everywhere else on earth. Then we recommend five books that took us to that place on the page. We‘re on a trip around the globe, one great read at a time. Please join us!
In this episode, we’re excited about two new books: ‘The Continental Affair’ by Christine Mangan and ‘The Quickening’ by Elizabeth Rush. Then Dave explains why you should put the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on your must-visit list. Links
The Continental Affair by Christine Mangan
The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth by Elizabeth Rush
Our review of Christine Mangan’s Tangerine
A refreshing Moroccan orange salad inspired by the book
Palace of the Drowned by Christine Mangan]
The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White
Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush
Visit the website for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Wikipedia: Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The Guardian editorial on the Fringe
Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical Review
Edinburgh Fringe Musicals: A Bedside View of Marriage, Covid Diaries, and Shamilton!
Edinburgh Fringe 2023 Week One Roundup: Capote, Wilde and a Lovesick Angler
Georgie Grier Offered Support After One Person Attends Her Edinburgh Show
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
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In this episode, we’re excited about two new books — ‘The Bookbinder’ by Pip Williams and ‘Tabula Rasa, Vol 1’ by John McPhee — then Dave tells us about the fascinating work of the Long Now Foundation. Links
The Bookbinder by Pip Williams
Tabula Rasa, Vol 1 by John McPhee
Pip Williams on the Invisible History of Female Bookbinders.
A New Novel That Captures the ‘Poetic Materiality’ of Books.
Our review of The Crofter and the Laird by John McPhee.
Hear Dave talk about ‘The Crofter and the Laird’ in our podcast episode Scotland: Wraiths, Rebels, and Royalty.
The Long Now Foundation website.
The Long Now Foundation YouTube channel.
Radical Sharing event — 23 August
Our podcast episode Amusement Parks: Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!.
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
Patreon
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, we’re excited about two books — ‘Ms. Demeanor’ by Elinor Lipman Moreno-Garcia and ‘Speech Team: A Novel’ By Tim Murphy — then Mel gets nostalgic about Concorde and those zippy flights across the Atlantic. Links
Ms. Demeanor by Elinor Lipman
Speech Team: A Novel by Tim Murphy
Visit Elinor Lipman’s website.
Elinor Lipman is the new EM Forster. Fight me.
Review of The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman.
Review of The Way Men Act by Elinor Lipman.
Review of Isabel’s Bed by Elinor Lipman.
My Ride on the Concorde.
What It Was Like to Fly Concorde in the ’70s.
Concorde Stories: Remembering the ‘Pocket Rocket’.
What Food & Drink Were Passengers Served On Concorde?
Vintage Champagne on the Edge of Space: The Supersonic World of a Concorde Stewardess by Sally Armstrong
Supersonic: The Design and Lifestyle of Concorde by Lawrence Azerrad
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
Patreon
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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: @tashasounart@worldkey.io
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
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
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
Patreon
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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
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
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
Patreon
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 Margolinhttps://bit.ly/3XlQLMz
Gone But Not Forgotten by Phillip Margolinhttps://amzn.to/3i4OHIE
Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius by Nick Hornbyhttps://bit.ly/3VbrEKE
High Fidelity by Nick Hornbyhttps://bit.ly/3TZ3CkL
About a Boy by Nick Hornbyhttps://bit.ly/3ETkkxJ
31 Songs by Nick Hornbyhttps://amzn.to/3UWQLkl
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornbyhttps://amzn.to/3TYY61H
The Joys of Incorporating Golden Age Cliches Into Contemporary Fictionhttps://bit.ly/3EvCZOB
Betty Crocker's Cooky Bookhttps://bit.ly/3Et3owA
Who was Betty Crocker?https://to.pbs.org/3ETlwkH
The etymology of cookie vs cookyhttps://bit.ly/3hTxPEu
Russian Teacake recipehttps://bit.ly/3OpDRZT
Transcript of this episodehttps://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
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
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
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
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
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
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new books: 'Revenge of the Librarians' by Tom Gauld and 'The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy' by Moiya McTier. Then Dave talks about a website that provides 'emotional spoilers' for movies and TV.
BOOKS
Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld https://bit.ly/3rW9XBW
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld https://bit.ly/3yFUMjY
Department of Mind-Blowing Theories by Tom Gauld https://bit.ly/3VpyXPA
The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier https://bit.ly/3Vqc0f7
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK DoestheDogDie.com https://bit.ly/3rW1vmj
Review on The Wildest https://bit.ly/3CyY21T
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3ELfXFg
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new books: 'The Whalebone Theatre' by Joanna Quinn and 'The Hero of This Book' by Elizabeth McCracken. Then Mel shares her enthusiasm for cookies made by cloistered nuns in Spain.
BOOKS
The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn https://bit.ly/3CZWvDD
The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken https://bit.ly/3g9nx28
The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken https://bit.ly/3TjaLwv
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Cloistered Cookies Video https://youtu.be/WbmUdXTSAGs
Boing Boing article about Nun Cookies https://bit.ly/2CdeuHs
Strong Sense of Place on Instagram https://bit.ly/3EHsbyF
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3MLK7KN
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new books: 'The Sleeping Car Porter' by Suzette Mayr and 'Such Sharp Teeth' by Rachel Harrison. Then Dave explains why we should all book a trip asap to Prince Edward Island to explore The Island Walk.
BOOKS
The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr https://bit.ly/3TmZjQB
The Widows by Suzette Mayr https://amzn.to/3CxEwmf
Venous Hum by Suzette Mayr https://bit.ly/3eqHq4j
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison https://bit.ly/3T8QFVE
Cackle by Rachel Harrison https://bit.ly/3g09BHQ
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
The Island Walk https://theislandwalk.ca/
Travel & Leisure review https://bit.ly/3yxUsUn
SSoP Ep. 42 — Atlantic Canada: For There Blow Some Cold Nor'westers on the Banks of Newfoundland https://bit.ly/3RW7uSv
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3EEN51t
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
In this episode, we get excited about two books, one backlist and one new: 'Wakenhyrst' by Michelle Paver and 'This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You' by Susan Rogers. Then Dave shares three reasons to put the tiny country of San Marino on your must-visit list.
BOOKS
Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver https://amzn.to/3Ro6ZR8
This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You by Susan Rogers https://bit.ly/3LRi9MV
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
San Marino on Wikipedia (Crossbow Corps!) https://bit.ly/3y1fomC
Museum of Vampires and Lycanthropes https://bit.ly/3Rv9D7O
Kitsch or Cool? Museo dei Vampiri in San Marino https://bit.ly/3CkRqoM
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver https://bit.ly/3xYeJCo
SSoP Podcast Episode 28 — Arctic: Otherworldly Beauty That Might Kill You https://bit.ly/3Rl3ISv
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3dYdvjH
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Most Likely Club' by Elyssa Friedland and 'The English Understand Wool' by Helen DeWitt. Then Mel tells the twisty story of 'Rebecca The Musical' on Broadway.
BOOKS
The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland https://bit.ly/3dSlbnG
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt https://bit.ly/3y4cr4J
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Reddit explainer https://bit.ly/3RnFZkP
The Guardian on the fraud https://bit.ly/3RnEiU8
Documentary https://youtu.be/roIueOG7_N4
Promo video for Broadway https://youtu.be/B-SZOwrhTds
Promo video for Vienna https://youtu.be/W_zJ0vOWQRg
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3SpYkPe
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Most Likely Club' by Elyssa Friedland and 'The English Understand Wool' by Helen DeWitt. Then Mel tells the twisty story of 'Rebecca The Musical' on Broadway.
BOOKS
The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland https://bit.ly/3dSlbnG
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt https://bit.ly/3y4cr4J
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Reddit explainer https://bit.ly/3RnFZkP
The Guardian on the fraud https://bit.ly/3RnEiU8
Documentary https://youtu.be/roIueOG7_N4
Promo video for Broadway https://youtu.be/B-SZOwrhTds
Promo video for Vienna https://youtu.be/W_zJ0vOWQRg
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3SpYkPe
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
Do you ever feel like Italy is just showing off just a bit? It's literally got the best of both worlds, surrounded by the sea and graced with mountains (hello, Italian Alps, Dolomites, and Apennines), woodlands, and hills, including the famous seven of Rome.
The climate is ideal for growing lovely things like figs, almonds, olives, grapes, and... romance. What's more romantic than sweethearts riding a Vespa under the moonlight? Or a spritz sipped under a beach umbrella on the Italian Riviera? A dip in the Adriatic, a stroll in the Tuscan sunshine, a run down a slope in the Italian Alps — these are the things of which dreams are made.
Which leads us to this fact: Italy has the third highest life expectancy in Europe: 83.5 years of living la dolce vita, the sweet life. The food, the wine, the weather, the language, the history; it's an embarrassment of riches, and we're all the better for it.
In this episode, we discuss everything that makes Italy one of the most enchanting places on Earth. We get curious about the world's largest rock band and a possibly cursed village, daydream about eating pasta carbonara in Rome, and cross the sea to Sicily. Then we recommend great books that took us there on the page:
The Invitation by Lucy Foley - https://bit.ly/3QYEd9l
Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere by Jan Morris - https://bit.ly/3QZu7Fp
Cinnamon and Salt: Ciccheti in Venice by Emiko Davies - https://bit.ly/3xFjJvI
Galileo's Daughter: A Drama of Science, Faith and Love by Dava Sobel - https://bit.ly/3Lv5nDz
Still Life by Sarah Winman - https://bit.ly/3Sf2jxG
A Room with a View - https://bit.ly/3DOFhd5
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-09-26-italy
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
Do you ever feel like Italy is just showing off just a bit? It's literally got the best of both worlds, surrounded by the sea and graced with mountains (hello, Italian Alps, Dolomites, and Apennines), woodlands, and hills, including the famous seven of Rome.
The climate is ideal for growing lovely things like figs, almonds, olives, grapes, and... romance. What's more romantic than sweethearts riding a Vespa under the moonlight? Or a spritz sipped under a beach umbrella on the Italian Riviera? A dip in the Adriatic, a stroll in the Tuscan sunshine, a run down a slope in the Italian Alps — these are the things of which dreams are made.
Which leads us to this fact: Italy has the third highest life expectancy in Europe: 83.5 years of living la dolce vita, the sweet life. The food, the wine, the weather, the language, the history; it's an embarrassment of riches, and we're all the better for it.
In this episode, we discuss everything that makes Italy one of the most enchanting places on Earth. We get curious about the world's largest rock band and a possibly cursed village, daydream about eating pasta carbonara in Rome, and cross the sea to Sicily. Then we recommend great books that took us there on the page:
The Invitation by Lucy Foley - https://bit.ly/3QYEd9l
Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere by Jan Morris - https://bit.ly/3QZu7Fp
Cinnamon and Salt: Ciccheti in Venice by Emiko Davies - https://bit.ly/3xFjJvI
Galileo's Daughter: A Drama of Science, Faith and Love by Dava Sobel - https://bit.ly/3Lv5nDz
Still Life by Sarah Winman - https://bit.ly/3Sf2jxG
A Room with a View - https://bit.ly/3DOFhd5
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-09-26-italy
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Duran Duran: Careless Memories' by Denis O'Regan and 'The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride Through Europe and the Middle East' by Rebecca Lowe. Then Dave highlights three books he was excited to see honored with Hugo Awards for sci-fi.
BOOKS
Duran Duran: Careless Memories by Denis O'Regan https://bit.ly/duranduranbook
The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride Through Europe and the Middle East by Rebecca Lowe https://bit.ly/3RgZvPX
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Complete list of 2022 Hugo Award winners https://bit.ly/3Lu4Zp7
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine https://bit.ly/3xGUUj3
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers https://bit.ly/3xJ9ir0
Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley https://bit.ly/3duURzV
Never Say You Can't Survive by Charlie Jane Anders https://bit.ly/3DIprR1
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King https://bit.ly/3DGtwoS
Watch 25 literary luminaries (Neil Gaiman, Robin Sloane, Felicia Day, Alan Cumming!) read the new translation of _Beowulf_ by Maria Dahvana Headley https://bit.ly/3favljW
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3DLZKz8
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Duran Duran: Careless Memories' by Denis O'Regan and 'The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride Through Europe and the Middle East' by Rebecca Lowe. Then Dave highlights three books he was excited to see honored with Hugo Awards for sci-fi.
BOOKS
Duran Duran: Careless Memories by Denis O'Regan https://bit.ly/duranduranbook
The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride Through Europe and the Middle East by Rebecca Lowe https://bit.ly/3RgZvPX
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Complete list of 2022 Hugo Award winners https://bit.ly/3Lu4Zp7
A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine https://bit.ly/3xGUUj3
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers https://bit.ly/3xJ9ir0
Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley https://bit.ly/3duURzV
Never Say You Can't Survive by Charlie Jane Anders https://bit.ly/3DIprR1
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King https://bit.ly/3DGtwoS
Watch 25 literary luminaries (Neil Gaiman, Robin Sloane, Felicia Day, Alan Cumming!) read the new translation of _Beowulf_ by Maria Dahvana Headley https://bit.ly/3favljW
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3DLZKz8
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Ten Things I Hate About Me' by Joe Tracini and 'Thistlefoot' by Gennarose Nethercott. Then Mel explains how the Sleep Stories in the Calm app have taken her on adventures around the world.
BOOKS
Ten Things I Hate About Me by Joe Tracini https://bit.ly/3LhYXYH
Thistlefoot by Gennarose Nethercott https://bit.ly/3LeUF4f
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Follow Joe Tracini on Twitter - https://twitter.com/joetracini
Enjoy his rap about bipolar personality disorder - https://bit.ly/3LfjNYx
Watch a dance video on YouTube - https://youtu.be/a5AUetoXKMo
Listen to a podcast interview with Joe - https://apple.co/3LeYia8
Read a profile of Joe in The Guardian - https://bit.ly/3Upig6z
Learn more about the Calm app - https://www.calm.com/
Visit the website for Erik Braa - https://www.erikbraa.com
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3RKsWKV
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Ten Things I Hate About Me' by Joe Tracini and 'Thistlefoot' by Gennarose Nethercott. Then Mel explains how the Sleep Stories in the Calm app have taken her on adventures around the world.
BOOKS
Ten Things I Hate About Me by Joe Tracini https://bit.ly/3LhYXYH
Thistlefoot by Gennarose Nethercott https://bit.ly/3LeUF4f
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Follow Joe Tracini on Twitter - https://twitter.com/joetracini
Enjoy his rap about bipolar personality disorder - https://bit.ly/3LfjNYx
Watch a dance video on YouTube - https://youtu.be/a5AUetoXKMo
Listen to a podcast interview with Joe - https://apple.co/3LeYia8
Read a profile of Joe in The Guardian - https://bit.ly/3Upig6z
Learn more about the Calm app - https://www.calm.com/
Visit the website for Erik Braa - https://www.erikbraa.com
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3RKsWKV
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
Secret corridors, hidden rooms, and trapdoors are the stuff of adventure and romance. Egyptian pyramids riddled with underground chambers and booby traps. An English country house with a priest hole and a trick bookcase. A speakeasy with a sliding panel that leads to a brothel and a gambling parlor. Who wouldn't want to go exploring?!
And where would Gothic storytelling be without the secret passage in Horace Walpole's 'The Castle of Otranto?' Or the hidden door to the attic in 'Jane Eyre' that's protecting an epic secret?
If your childhood was shaped by reading the enchanting adventures in 'The Secret Garden' and 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' or by solving the mystery of 'The Hidden Staircase' with Nancy Drew, this show is for you.
In this episode, we discuss an amazing book heist from an ancient French monastery, debate if Ben Franklin was a werewolf hunter, get lost in the Mansion on O Street, and daydream about living in the New York Public Library. Then we recommend great books that lured us into magical portals, dangerous tunnels, secret passages, and other hidden spaces that prove irresistible.
Here are the books we discuss in the show:
A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn https://bit.ly/3cLkQm3
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow https://bit.ly/3AGfsJ7
Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman https://bit.ly/3Ry21li
Underground by Will Hunt https://bit.ly/3CQjyB5
The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley https://bit.ly/3TG18ZR
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-09-12-secret-passages
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
Secret corridors, hidden rooms, and trapdoors are the stuff of adventure and romance. Egyptian pyramids riddled with underground chambers and booby traps. An English country house with a priest hole and a trick bookcase. A speakeasy with a sliding panel that leads to a brothel and a gambling parlor. Who wouldn't want to go exploring?!
And where would Gothic storytelling be without the secret passage in Horace Walpole's 'The Castle of Otranto?' Or the hidden door to the attic in 'Jane Eyre' that's protecting an epic secret?
If your childhood was shaped by reading the enchanting adventures in 'The Secret Garden' and 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' or by solving the mystery of 'The Hidden Staircase' with Nancy Drew, this show is for you.
In this episode, we discuss an amazing book heist from an ancient French monastery, debate if Ben Franklin was a werewolf hunter, get lost in the Mansion on O Street, and daydream about living in the New York Public Library. Then we recommend great books that lured us into magical portals, dangerous tunnels, secret passages, and other hidden spaces that prove irresistible.
Here are the books we discuss in the show:
A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn https://bit.ly/3cLkQm3
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow https://bit.ly/3AGfsJ7
Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman https://bit.ly/3Ry21li
Underground by Will Hunt https://bit.ly/3CQjyB5
The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley https://bit.ly/3TG18ZR
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-09-12-secret-passages
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
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: '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
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
- Patreon
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: '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
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
- Patreon
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'these are the words' by Nikita Gill and 'Daisy Darker' by Alice Feeney. Then Dave explains the delightful tradition of newcomers to Newfoundland being ScreechedIn.
BOOKS these are the words by Nikita Gill https://amzn.to/3q2wY5f
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney https://bit.ly/3Q64Etd
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK The Library of Lost Time https://bit.ly/3PIqMd8
Newfoundland Screech on Wikipedia https://bit.ly/3wO9SmO
On Atlas Obscura https://bit.ly/3R9n3qB
Two excellent videos https://youtu.be/-bEPBx4E1aY
https://youtu.be/3cI4vSqbMLE
Video of Conan O'Brian getting screeched by Natasha Henstridge https://youtu.be/d3bD7427Nqc
Our podcast episode about Atlantic Canada https://bit.ly/3CPgwwN
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3cHjfxS
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
Close your eyes and imagine it: Craggy coastlines with the rumble of crashing surf, sand dunes shaped by the wind off the Atlantic, maybe a lonely lighthouse, and lots of green. The air is bracing, carrying the scent of pine and the sea.
Atlantic Canada comprises four provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, plus the three Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, also known as PEI.
Lumped together for convenience, each province has its own quirks and charm. You might visit the colorful fishing villages in Nova Scotia or go kayaking in the Bay of Fundy. If Anne Shirley tops your list of best literary heroines, you'll definitely want to make a pilgrimage to PEI. And for Viking lore and teeth-rattling wind — plus puffins, iceberg sightings, and the northern lights — Newfoundland is the place to be.
Wherever you land, you're enveloped in the fathomless blue of the sky and sea. It's a dramatic landscape with hardy people and a long history of compelling stories.
In this episode, we talk about the lure of buried treasure, pick up a bit of Newfoundland slang, plan a getaway to a posh island hotel, and discuss practically sentient weather. Then we recommend five great books that took us to Atlantic Canada on the page:
Crow by Amy Spurway https://bit.ly/3QBrD0r
Galore by Michael Crummy https://bit.ly/3PtOrhh
My Darling Detective by Howard Norman https://bit.ly/3waEWNo
The Boat Who Wouldn't Float by Farley Mowat https://bit.ly/3pr2Y2U
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx https://bit.ly/3wd40mR
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
- Patreon
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Portrait of an Unknown Woman' by Daniel Silva and 'A Dreadful Splendor' by B.R. Myers. Then Mel explains why she's smitten with Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez and the Shetland TV series, based on the books by Ann Cleeves.
BOOKS Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva https://bit.ly/3PCaF0I
A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers https://bit.ly/3CuX6gN
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK The Library of Lost Time https://bit.ly/3PIqMd8
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves https://bit.ly/3wqCSRj
Interview with Ann Cleeves https://bit.ly/3pEs0LW
Shetland: An Epic Landscape with a Viking Soul https://bit.ly/3Cq55M3
Video: Ann Cleeves' Shetland https://youtu.be/AAInlBT32w8
'Shetland' on Amazon Prime https://amzn.to/3Kb59AS
Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3PIqMd8
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
Perched where East meets West, Turkey was once a stopover on the Silk Road, connecting the cultures of Europe and the Balkans to exotic Eastern locales. That explains why its history has as many layers as a piece of baklava.
The invaders are a greatest hits list of big names: the Greeks, the Byzantine Empire, the Fourth Crusade, and the Ottoman Empire (and its Janissaries). Then WWI and the birth of a new nation: The Republic of Turkey, with westward-gazing Atatürk at the helm.
Now, this stunningly beautiful country is a dreamy holiday destination. There are beaches on the Black, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas to immerse you in soothing waters.
Enjoy colorful Turkish cuisine with strong tea and coffee to fuel your adventures. Listen to slinky, rhythmic folk music, have a soak at a hammam (Turkish bath), and meet friendly locals with a charming predilection for chit-chat.
For centuries, travelers have been enchanted by the Istanbul skyline and the romantic Bosphorous Strait. But don't sleep on sights outside that fabled city, like the hot air balloons and otherworldly terrain of Cappadocia, the ancient ruins of the Library of Pergamum, and Gaziantep with the sweet scent of baklava bakeries floating in the air.
In this episode, we romp through the Byzantine Empire, get gossipy about the Turkish language, and celebrate sweet words of devotion. Then we recommend five books that took us to Turkey on the page:
- Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak
- Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı
- The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
- My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, Erda M. Göknar (translator)
- Black Amber by Phyllis A. Whitney
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
- Patreon
In this very short episode, we get curious about what you think about The Library of Lost Time.
We'd like to know how to make a better podcast for you. More book reviews? More Distraction of the Week? Should Mel and Dave just talk about cakes and cats?
Let us know!
We currently have a survey at:
https://strongsenseofplace.com/survey
It would mean the world to us if you could drop by and tell us how we're doing. It'll take about three minutes, and it'll help shape that podcast immediately.
Thank you so much for your help!
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Kismet' by Amina Akhtar and 'Alias Emma' by Ava Glass. Then we think about running away to Tristan da Cunha, the world's most remote inhabited island.
BOOKS Kismet by Amina Akhtar https://bit.ly/3Bh1fUW
Alias Emma by Ava Glass https://bit.ly/3RZ2TQT
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Tristan da Cunha website https://bit.ly/3OuvKtj
Atlas Obscura on Tristan da Cunha https://bit.ly/3or3mh8
Slate on Tristan da Cunha https://bit.ly/3b22wEq
Wikipedia https://bit.ly/3S1PAiq
Video: Life on Tristan da Cunha https://youtu.be/n4ElF8awm90
Video: A Day on Tristan da Cunha https://youtu.be/kgKYV5hplvM
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
With palm trees galore, more than 100 beaches (plus more than 100 volcanoes!), Hawaii's islands are a playground in paradise. But there's a lot more to love about the 50th state than its splash-worthy waters and lush hiking trails.
Settled by sea-faring Polynesians in the 4th century, the islands meld the cultures of native Hawaiians, American mainlanders, and Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Chinese immigrants. All of which is shorthand for 'fascinating people, delicious food, and irresistible music.'
A visit to Hawaii pretty much requires you to swim and paddle around in the Pacific. You can also trek on volcanoes, stroll through the rainforest, learn to surf, meet the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle (honu) and the Hawaiian Monk Seal (llio holo I ka uaua), dance the hula, and pay tribute to the mighty Pele, goddess of fire.
In this episode, we marvel at the Polynesian settlers, learn about a forbidden island, sway to Hawaiian music, and enjoy a virtual luau on the beach. Then we recommend five books that transported us to Hawaii.
Here are the books we discuss in the show:
- Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport
- Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
- Micro by Michael Crichton & Richard Preston
- The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey
- This is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
- Patreon
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Half Life of Valery K' by Natasha Pulley and 'The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir' by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Then we go retro with 'Welcome to Kutsher's,' a documentary about the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills.
BOOKS The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley https://bit.ly/3PxuR4L
The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir by Ingrid Rojas Contreras https://bit.ly/3z199Po
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Welcome to Kutsher's https://bit.ly/3RWfR1M
Watch the documentary online https://amzn.to/3J5La6d
ABC News report on Kutsher's https://abcn.ws/3z6cOeX
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
Museums are where we put our best stuff. An item might belong in a museum if it's rare, expensive, irreplaceable, or so ordinary and beloved it becomes extraordinary. A self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh, a can of SPAM, a Romanian mud hut, a narwhal horn, a discarded red stiletto: They can all be found in a museum somewhere in the world.
But exhibitions in museums are more than mere collections of striking items. Museums are vital institutions that take on the tasks of collecting, interpreting, and caring for artifacts — both precious and charmingly ordinary — so they can be experienced by the general public.
The Ancient Greek word mouseion means 'seat of Muses.' In classical antiquity, a museum was a place for contemplation and philosophical debate. When art moved from the open air, larger-than-life statuary of the Greco-Roman era to more intimate, human-scale paintings and objects, the definition of museum changed, too. It became a place to visit to see art — and anything placed in a museum _became_ art.
In this episode, we romp through the delightful hoarding behavior behind Renaissance Wunderkammers, learn about the first museum curator (spoiler: It was a woman!), and celebrate the majesty of the Louvre. Then we recommend books that transported us to museums around the world.
Here are the books we recommend on the show:
- A Little History of Art by Charlotte Mullins
- A Parisian Cabinet of Curiosities: Deyrolle by Prince Louis Albert de Broglie
- Cabinets of Curiosities by Patrick Mauriès
- How to Enjoy Art by Ben Street
- Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson
- The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-07-18-museums
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers. Then we daydream about receiving a postcard from the ancient city of Timbuktu.
BOOKS The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia https://bit.ly/39DM24K
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers https://bit.ly/3ObJLwy
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Postcards from Timbuktu website https://bit.ly/3N89lBt
Postcards from Timbuktu on Instagram https://bit.ly/3b9jJeN
Atlas Obscura on Postcards from Timbuktu https://bit.ly/3NaNDfY
The last master calligrapher in Mali https://bit.ly/3b42U4X
The Guardian on Timbuktu https://bit.ly/3OsQKkv
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'What Moves the Dead' by T. Kingfisher and 'The Mermaid of Black Conch' by Monique Roffey. Then we explore the delightfully retro world of Thomas Allen's pulp fiction art.
BOOKS What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher https://bit.ly/3O962uZ
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey https://bit.ly/3OcdSEd
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Thomas Allen's Pulp Series https://bit.ly/3N9iRUM
Thomas Allen's Beautiful Evidence Series https://bit.ly/3xELPq8
A video romp through his artwork https://bit.ly/3y7URNB
More at the Foley Gallery https://bit.ly/3y7UTVJ
Thomas Allen and Chip Kidd discuss Allen's book https://bit.ly/3tPYdCB
Buy a copy of 'Uncovered: Photographs' by Thomas Allen https://amzn.to/3QByqru
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
Animal safaris! White sand beaches! The majesty of Table Mountain! Plus, urban penguins, world-class wine, and food with irresistible names like melktert, bunny chow, and chakalaka. There is so much about South Africa to engage your curiosity.
Any conversation about South Africa is incomplete without addressing the scourge of Apartheid. For most of the 20th century, black people were denied the most basic human rights and lived a segregated existence. But in 1989, Apartheid was banished, and the country is moving toward the goal of being a Rainbow Nation.
Let's talk numbers! There are 11 official languages, and South Africa is one of the best places on the planet to see the Big Five of safaris: lions, leopards, black rhinos, elephants, and Cape buffalo. The local cuisine combines four delicious influences that combine indigenous recipes with Dutch, French, and Indian flavors. And there are more than 40 wineries along the hop-on-hop-off wine tram in the Franschhoek Wine Valley.
In this episode, we fall in love with elephants (a.k.a., the world's best gentle giants), dig into the country's tumultuous history, and daydream about visiting Cape Town beaches. Then we recommend five books that transported us there on the page.
Here are the five books we recommend on the show:
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- Gallows Hill by Margie Orford
- The Promise by Damon Galgut
- We Kiss Them With Rain by Futhi Ntshingila
- The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-07-04-south-africa
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Her Majesty's Royal Coven' by Juno Dawson and 'Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels, and Crooks' by Patrick Radden Keefe. Then we take a sweet virtual roadtrip along Ohio's famed Donut Trail.
BOOKS Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson https://bit.ly/38XtuvX
Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels, and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe https://bit.ly/398j2lA
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Read all about the Butler County Donut Trail https://bit.ly/3O2N3lz
Download the free Donut Trail map https://bit.ly/3xeM9vk
Download the free Donut Trail passport https://bit.ly/3zmJGBN
Here's a donut-by-donut recap of a blogger's trip down the Donut Trail https://bit.ly/3MsdMqu
Easy homemade donut recipe https://bit.ly/3aARXre
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Woman of Light' by Kali Fajardo-Anstine and 'Ordinary Monsters' by J. M. Miro. Then we share the lowdown on the thoroughly delightful Typewriter Rodeo poets in Austin, Texas.
BOOKS Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780525511328
Ordinary Monsters by J. M. Miro https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781250833662
Typewriter Rodeo by Jodi Egerton, et. al. https://amzn.to/3tXLzkZ
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Visit Typewriter Rodeo online https://typewriterrodeo.com
Follow Typewriter Rodeo on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/typewriterrodeo
Listen to the Typewriter Rodeo Podcast - https://www.npr.org/podcasts/513264050/texas-standard-typewriter-rodeo
Video interview with Texas Country Reporter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28R65IgaooY
Video interview with Austin 360 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_orDDOsrQP4
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
- YouTube
Let's get this straight immediately: If you want to make friends with the good people of the mountains, you'd better pronounce the name of their home the way they do. When you say Appalachia, make it sound like 'throw an apple atcha'.
This fabled region of the US includes parts of 12 states and the entirety of West Virginia. It encompasses forested peaks and deep hollers (the local name for valleys) along the Appalachian Mountains that stretch from Canada to Alabama.
Although the population is predominantly of white Scots-Irish or German descent, about 10% of the population is African-American. But circa the 1700s, it was a melting pot that blended white, Black, and Native Americans. That means there's damn good food, foot-stomping music, and a lively storytelling tradition, along with long-held wisdom about the importance of kin, living in harmony with nature, and being self-reliant.
In this episode, we discuss Appalachian folklore, celebrate the magic of Dolly Parton, listen to eerie country ballads, and daydream about banana pudding. Then we recommend five immersive books that took us to Appalachia on the page.
- The Book Woman of Troublesome by Kim Michele Richardson
- F*ckface: And Other Stories by Leah Hampton
- Victuals: An Appalachian Journey with Recipes by Ronni Lundy
- The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker
- She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-06-06-tasmania
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Last Call at the Nightingale' by Katharine Schellman and 'Downton Shabby: One American's Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family's English Castle' by Hopwood DePree. Then we share details about the Midnight Sun Marathon in Tromsø, Norway, where 6000 runners hit the course under a bright sun that never sets.
BOOKS Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman https://bit.ly/3tJzj7r
Downton Shabby: One American's Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family's English Castle by Hopwood DePree https://bit.ly/3QlAaVw
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Midnight Sun Marathon https://bit.ly/2EMohoN
Newsletter signup https://bit.ly/3y13ycK
Midnight Sun Marathon on Instagram https://bit.ly/3xVdlkl
The 12 Best Things to do in Tromsø https://bit.ly/3QuQ1Bp
Polaria Arctic Aquarium https://bit.ly/3zJIhpa
Tromsø Cable Car https://bit.ly/3N1bDlC
SSoP Podcast Episode 28 — The Arctic: Otherworldly Beauty That Might Kill You. https://bit.ly/3b6Yfz8
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Woman in the Library' by Sulari Gentill and 'There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness: And Other Thoughts on Physics, Philosophy and the World' by Carlo Rovelli. Then we celebrate the genius of the one and only Maurice Sendak, author of 'Where the Wild Things Are.'
BOOKS The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill https://bit.ly/3NEZrbH
There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important Than Kindness: And Other Thoughts on Physics, Philosophy and the World by Carlo Rovelli https://bit.ly/3xnf8wX
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Maurice Sendak: On Life, Death And Children's Lit https://n.pr/3MEZuCI
Artist Christoph Niemann illustrated a 'Fresh Air' interview with Maurice Sendak https://bit.ly/3O87Vrq
Fresh Air Remembers Maurice Sendak https://n.pr/3MCokU4
9 Surprising Facts About Maurice Sendak https://bit.ly/3O4eCLd
10 Wild Facts About 'Where the Wild Things Are' https://bit.ly/3aIB2mP
Maurice Sendak obituary from 'The Guardian' https://bit.ly/3aTRErW
'Where the Wild Things Are' on Strong Sense of Place https://bit.ly/3O7h7wh
Roasted Carrot Caraway Soup inspired by the book https://bit.ly/3QfS8sH
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
- YouTube
This might be a bit too seem cheesy, but we're going to say it anyway: This small-ish, heart-shaped island in the Southern Hemisphere has stolen our hearts. There's so much to love.
Sure, Tasmania may have started with the sinister-sounding name Van Diemen's Land. And yes, it was founded as an inescapable penal colony for the most hardened criminals in Britain.
But now, Tasmania is an epic playground for anyone who loves outdoor adventures. There are soft sand beaches for swimming, snorkeling, surfing, and lazing around in the sun — perhaps at the poetically-named Bay of Fires or Wineglass Bay. The island's network of rivers means lots (and lots) of waterfalls, along with kayaking and rafting. Foodies can enjoy a leisurely drive along the Tamar Valley Wine Route dotted with inviting wineries and an exciting food scene.
But if (when!) we visit Tasmania, it will be for the animals. It's home to ridiculously cute animals like wombats, wallabies, and, yes, the Tasmanian Devil. If we're being honest, these adorable creatures might also kill you — or at least cause grave bodily harm. But truly: Cuddling up to a furry, tank-like wombat or seeing a Tasmanian Devil IRL might be worth it.
In this episode, we briefly dip into Tasmania's dark history, learn about a truly unusual museum, talk about the Roaring Forties, and mourn the loss of the Tasmanian Tiger. Then we recommend five great books that took us there on the page:
- Wildlight by Robyn Mundy
- Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger by Margaret Mittlebach & Michael Crewdson
- The Survivors by Jane Harper
- Ten Rogues: The Unlikely Story of Convict Schemers, a Stolen Brig and an Escape from Van Diemen's Land to Chile by Peter Grose
- Flames by Robbie Arnott
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-06-06-tasmania
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Hide' by Kiersten White and 'Born to Be Hanged' by Keith Thomson. Then we discuss the very soothing, compelling cooking videos on the Country Life Vlog.
BOOKS Hide by Kiersten White https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593359235
Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune by Keith Thomson https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780316703611
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Watch and follow the Country Life Vlog on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIix6MklfJFywa_36iDj8Sw/featured
Meet Aziza and her family https://blog.solostove.com/the-common-flame-country-life-in-azerbaijan/
The video for cold Okroshka Soup. https://youtu.be/W7fvudJvDlo
And a full recipe for the soup, in case you want to make it yourself. https://natashaskitchen.com/okroshka-recipe-russian-summer-soup/
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Trust' by Hernan Diaz and 'How to Be Eaten' by Maria Adelmann. Then we get nostalgic for the Opening Day on the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937.
BOOKS Trust by Hernan Diaz https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593420317
How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780316450843
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Treat yourself to the Official Program for the Golden Gate Bridge Fiesta - https://www.goldengate.org/assets/1/6/officialprogram.pdf
Read more about the Fiesta - https://www.goldengate.org/bridge/history-research/bridge-construction/opening-fiesta-week/
Enjoy this video of the opening from British Pathé - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_sm0OHQKrg
Or this video from British Movietone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQFNVLZEFrU
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
- YouTube
Room service. An oversized bed seemingly made of clouds. Breathtaking views through wall-sized windows. Zippy elevators. Friendly, efficient bellhops. And three magical words: Gourmet breakfast included. These are the things of which a first-rate hotel stay is made.
The idea of a place to lay your head while away from home has been around for millennia: When the Greeks and Romans developed thermal baths, they also built accommodations for visitors to spend the night after a recuperating soak.
What we would recognize as an inn became common in Europe during the Middle Ages. Rustic but homey, they provided lodging, food, and stables for horses. Fast forward to the industrialists of the 19th century, and boom! now we've got grand hotels designed to cater to guests' every whim. Laundry service? Of course. Space for entertaining? Naturally. And oh, free soap!
In this episode, we take a quick romp through hotel history and imagine what it might have been like to visit a luxurious hotel during its 20th-century heyday. Then we discuss so many books that transported us to hotels on the page. There are haunted rooms and murderous mischief, people falling in love and settling scores, history-making events and intimate drama, plus plenty of opulent furnishings and white-glove service.
Here are five of the books we recommend on the show — there are a bunch more in show notes:
- A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
- The Plaza: The Secret Life of America's Most Famous Hotel by Julie Satow
- Estoril by Dejan Tiago-Stanković
- The Hitman's Daughter by Carolyne Topdjian
- The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman
- Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elissa Friedland
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-05-23-hotels
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker and Book of Night by Holly Black. Then we are charmed by three short words: floating taco bar.
BOOKS - The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780358251873
- Book of Night by Holly Black - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781250812193
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Visit the website for Lime Out, the floating taco bar - https://www.limeoutvi.com
Follow Lime Out on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/limeoutvi/
Read an article about it in 'Travel+Leisure' - https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/floating-taco-bar-st-john-us-virgin-islands-caribbean
Read an article about it in 'St. John Magazine' - https://stjohnmagazine.com/lime-out-vi-st-john-floating-bar
This video will have you packing your bags and booking a flight before you can say, 'extra guac, please.' - https://youtu.be/RpEjOIuI69k
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
- YouTube
Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is 100-percent situated in the tropics. It's hot and humid and, sometimes, there's torrential rain. The capital city of Bangkok is a cacophony of color and humanity: traffic jams, food markets, flocks of monks in saffron-colored robes, temple spires, and gaudy neon. And all of that only enhances its appeal.
Thailand is blessed with otherwordly beauty. From the hills and forests in the north to the terraced rice fields in the central plains, it seems to embody every imaginable shade of green. But hit the coasts, and the colors explode into other rainbow colors: fuchsia flowers, aquamarine waters, red-brown rock formations, and blindingly-white sand beaches.
That vibrancy is reflected in the food (colorful, spicy), the people (friendly, Buddhist), the wildlife (diverse, majestic), and all the activities they invite you to try: hiking, cooking, snorkeling, splashing, eating, drinking, living.
In this episode, we discuss how a trip to Thailand will engage all your senses, learn about a jewelry heist for the ages, talk about a giant Buddha, and daydream about Bangkok. We also recommend five great books that transported us there on the page:
- The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha
- Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright
- Thai Street Food by David Thompson
- Bangkok 8 by John Burdett
- Jasmine Nights by S.P. Somtow
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-05-09-thailand
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: Siren Queen by Nghi Vo and Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story in Music Lessons" by Jeremy Denk. Then we talk about an exhibit at the New York Public Library featuring art from a new graphic novel.
BOOKS Siren Queen by Nghi Vo - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781250788832
Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story in Music Lessons - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780812995985
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Watch a quick video about the INterSECTS exhibit -https://twitter.com/nypl/status/1513951186075979776
Get more info on the New York Public Library website - https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/intersects
Take the excellent online audio tour of the exhibit - https://www.nypl.org/events/tours/audio-guides/intersects/item/6050
Download the free coloring sheets. One of them shows butterflies in the Rose Reading Room! - https://legacynyplorg-live.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/intersects_-_peter_kuper_coloring_pages.pdf
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Woman, Eating' by Claire Kohda and 'How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from the Moth.' Then we are thoroughly charmed by artist David Bird's whimsical figurines and photos.
BOOKS Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780063140882
How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from the Moth - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593139004
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Watch David Bird's process and hear the stories behind his Becorns at his [official website - https://www.davidmbird.com
Follow David Bird on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidmbird
See what happened when a squirrel decided to enjoy a Becorn as an afternoon snack - https://youtu.be/LfQhurh7wuk).
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
- YouTube
With all those dramatic volcanoes and glaciers, Iceland has become known as the Land of Fire and Ice. But we like to think of it as the Land of Legends and Poetry, a place to go adventuring with your extrovert pals, then curl up with a great book and a cozy sweater for some epic introverting.
Literature is baked into Icelandic culture, starting with the Sagas and carrying through medieval warrior poets to today: The capital city of Reykjavík is a designated UNESCO City of Literature and home to both the Iceland Writers Retreat and the Iceland Noir Festival.
When you're ready to explore the island, start in the capital for fancy cocktails, the vibrant food scene, and friendly locals. Then hit the road — the Ring Road — to circumnavigate the island and see fantastical sites along the way: volcanoes and lava fields, waterfalls and glaciers, puffins and horses with emo bangs, the black church and dramatic sea cliffs — plus northern lights, turquoise-colored hot springs, a troll or two, and wee elf houses.
In this episode, we dig into the charming idiosyncrasies of the Icelandic language, get real about Vikings, and celebrate powerful Icelandic women. We also recommend five great books that transported us there on the page:
- The Island by Ragnar Jónasson
- How Iceland Changed the World by Egill Bjarnason
- The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea
- The Almost Nearly Perfect People by Michael Booth
- The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-04-25-iceland
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'True Biz' by Sara Nović and 'Hotel Magnifique' by Emily J. Taylor. Then we discuss the fantastic artists devoted to preserving and enhancing the 150-year-old tradition of handpainted signs.
BOOKS True Biz by Sara Nović - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593241509 Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593404515
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Watch the documentary 'Sign Painters' online at Vimeo for free - http://www.signpaintersfilm.com
Follow Sign Painters on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sign_painters
Get your hands on the book 'Sign Painters' by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781616890834
More photos and stories about sign painters around the world: The UK - https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2015/jan/14/revival-handpainted-sign-high-streets-in-pictures
Mexico City - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-11/the-art-of-painting-signs-in-mexico-city
New Orleans - https://gonola.com/features/local-lens/the-city-spoke-through-hand-painted-signs
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Patron Saint of Second Chances' by Christine Simon and 'Portrait of a Thief' by Grace D. Li. Then we discuss the gleefully macabre writing and art of Edward Gorey.
BOOKS The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781982188771
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593184738
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK A video reading of Edward Gorey's 'Gashlycrumb Tinies' - https://youtu.be/PIPvzfQbioc
Edward Gorey's New England residence has been turned into a fantastic and fantastical museum. Take a video tour - https://youtu.be/fSiImfSD258
The iconic opening credits of PBS Mystery! - https://youtu.be/tPlY_7RR1h0
Write a letter to show your support for an Edward Gorey stamp - https://edwardgorey.org/2022/02/22/edward-gorey-centennial-postage-stamp-campaign/
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
- YouTube
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Sea of Tranquility' by Emily St. John Mandel and 'The Candy House' by Jennifer Egan. Then we discuss the delightful distraction of Salvador Dali's amazing mustache and his epic dinner parties.
BOOKS The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - https://bit.ly/3uhgSYsThe Candy House by Jennifer Egan - https://bit.ly/3x68HQB
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK 1941 newsreel of Dali's over-the-top dinner party 'Night in a Surrealist Forest' - https://youtu.be/vg6i4E0Woak
Dali's cookbook 'Les Dîners de Gala' - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9783836508766
Incredible photos from the cookbook - https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2016/10/les-diners-de-gala-dali
'Destino,' the animated short film collaboration between The Walt Disney Company and Dali - https://youtu.be/y_TlaxmOKqs 18 Surreal Facts about Salvador Dali - https://mymodernmet.com/salvador-dali-facts
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
- YouTube
Season 4 of the Strong Sense of Place podcast starts 25 April!
We've put together an itinerary of 12 destinations with stops on every continent. It's a tour around the world that will take us behind the scenes of fascinating cultures, dramatic history, beautiful scenery, and irresistible food. All you need is your curiosity and a comfy place to read.
To see stunning photos of our Season 4 destinations, visit our blog at http://strongsenseofplace.com/2022/04/08/ssop-podcast-season4-announcing-12-amazing-destinations/
Curious about the new The Library of Lost Time video? You can watch it here.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
- YouTube
Comprised of more than 2000 islands on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula, Greece is bounded by bluer-than-blue water. Ionian Sea! Aegean Sea! Mediterranean Sea! Go anywhere in the country, and you're never more than 85 miles/137km from the ocean. And there are more than 250 sunny days every year.
Greece also boasts mountainous national parks, monasteries perched on dramatic mountaintops, and ancient temple ruins from about 2000 years ago. Plus, a capital city known as the cradle of Western civilization.
Add rousing folk music, intoxicating spirits (Ouzo! Retsina! Metaxa!), and Greek food — olives and olive oil, the freshest of fish, layers of phyllo dough, pillowy pita, meat on skewers — and you've got the makings of a great escape.
In this episode, we briefly discuss Greece's influential history and wax lyrical about all the country offers as a travel destination. Then we recommend five books that transported us there on the page: a graphic novel that celebrates rebetiko music, a gripping family saga, a gorgeous retelling of Greek mythology, a literary novel about living in a liminal space, and an over-the-top (in just the right way) mystery-romance. Opa! For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-12-20-greece
Books covered:
- Circe by Madeline Miller
- Middlesex: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides
- Rebetiko by David Prudhomme
- The House on Paradise Street by Sofka Zinovieff
- This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
Do you enjoy our show? 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
For longer than memory, those deep, dark forests have been a symbolic, powerful setting for stories. The wildwoods of fairy tales are where we meet Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Rumpelstiltskin. The Hundred Acre Wood is where we find Winnie the Pooh and his darling friends. J.R.R. Tolkein introduced generations of readers to the Ents in the woods of Middle Earth, and Sherwood Forest gave Robin Hood a hiding place for his merry men.
The duality of the forest, the contrast between its beauty and its danger, resonates with us. The soaring treetops and dappled sun of a daytime forest form a natural cathedral where we commune with Mother Nature. But when the sun is low in the sky, the shadows take over, and the trees become a place of the unknown where almost anything can happen. When the words _Once upon a time..._ are spoken, all bets are off.
In this episode, we get curious about the forest and recommend five books that transported us into the woods, including two fairy tales for adults, a nonfiction book that changes everything we think we know about trees, a white-knuckle thriller, and an ecological novel woven into a family saga.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-11-29-forest
Do you enjoy our show? 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
Books covered:
- Burning Bright by Nick Petrie
- Falling from Grace by Ann Eriksson
- The Bear and the Nightingale: A Novel by Katherine Arden
- The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate — Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben
- The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Egypt was one of the world's first civilizations, with a history that reaches back 5000 years through the sands of time. It's where writing and two-dimensional drawing and paper began. The god Amun-Ra personified the sun shining down on the deserts — and Osiris, the god of death, inspired a belief in the afterlife that led to the construction of the pyramids.
Life in Egypt clings to the green ribbon of the Nile River that snakes through the country with humans and animals along its length. It's home to hippos, the Nile crocodiles, and the asp — the poisonous snake that may or may not have sealed Cleopatra's doom. It's also a stopover for millions of birds migrating from Europe to Africa.
Egypt has also been the crossroads for human invaders for centuries: Ottoman invaders, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British. In the past few decades, there's been rising tension and violence between religious conservatives (see: the Muslim Brotherhood) and secular factions.
But the Egyptian people you'll meet on the street? They're friendly, welcoming, and eager to show you the country they love. And with good reason. In addition to the massive shrines in the desert, there's a world-class museum with the largest collection of ancient artifacts in the world and mosques decorated with breathtaking mosaics. You can also sail on a romantic felucca (Egyptian sailboat) along the Nile, scuba in the Red Sea, navigate the sci-fi calcium formations in the White Desert, or simply enjoy a cup of tea while watching the hustle of daily life.
In this episode, we explore Egypt's dynamic dynastic history, enjoy the antics of King Farouk, dish about 'The Mummy,' and lots more. Then we recommend five books we love that took us there on the page: a fantasy about the djinn, a coffee table book of Egyptian antiquities, a novel about sisters navigating the Arab Spring, and two fictional approaches to history that cast a spell on Mel.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-11-08-egypt
If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon and gain access to bonus content, special events, and more. https://strongsenseofplace.com/support
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Located in Central Asia with Iran to the west and Pakistan to the east, Afghanistan sits at the crossroads of Asia and the Middle East. That's made it a hot spot for invaders from all directions for millennia.
Afghanistan's terrain is rugged — and in some places, stunningly beautiful — with deep gorges and river valleys, deserts, snow-topped mountains, and irrigated land used for farming. It's best known for pomegranates and poppies: Heroin made from opium grown in Afghanistan makes up 95% of the market in Europe.
Afghanistan is a culturally conservative and religious nation. Reputation is the most valuable social commodity, which forces both men and women to comply with a web of strict social rules. An estimated 99.7% of the Afghan population is Muslim. And that faith plays out in dress, dietary codes, regular prayer, language, and social interactions.
In this episode, we get curious about Afghanistan's violent history, its tribal and social customs, and the rise of the Taliban. Then we discuss five books that gave us a better understanding of the whole situation. From reportage to history to a literary crime novel, these books illuminated a vivid picture of this remarkable, challenging country.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-10-25-afghanistan
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
If you like the work we’re doing and want more book recommendations, behind-the-scenes info, online chats, and the opportunity to influence the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon.
The Arctic is the northernmost region on Earth. It includes the Arctic Ocean and northern parts of Russia, the state of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and the northern tips of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Teeming with wildlife, the land and sea blend with ice reaching to the horizon and the sky in vast stretches of blue and white. It can seem quite romantic, this part of the globe with months of darkness and light at opposite ends of the calendar. But as history tells, it's also perilously dangerous, a place where humans are likely to lose their way, to freeze, or to simply disappear.
In this episode, we take a quick romp through the Arctic expeditions of the 19th century and get curious about the archipelago of Svalbard (150 islands off the coast of Norway). Then we discuss five books that transported us to the Arctic Circle, including lyrical nonfiction, adventure tales, and one ghost story that would make the bravest soul shake in their fur-lined boots.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-09-27-arctic
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
If you like the work we’re doing and want more book recommendations, behind-the-scenes info, online chats, and the opportunity to influence the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon.
The word newsroom can conjure images of jaded reporters tapping away at typewriters and harried producers coddling the on-air talent just before showtime. But here in the 21st century, the newsroom is everywhere with citizen journalists and their pesky, ubiquitous mobiles.
A newsroom is a messy and exhilarating combination of camaraderie and rivalry. The deadlines are constant, and the work is high-stakes. That means a newsroom is a dramatic setting for stories, both fictional and factual.
In this episode, we look at the history of news reporting and how it's changed through time. Then we recommend five books that go behind-the-scenes of journalism, including two gripping nonfiction works, a novel about a real-life underground newspaper, a thriller set in cable news, and a swashbuckling tale of 19th-century girl reporters.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-09-06-newsroom
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
If you like the work we’re doing and want more book recommendations, behind-the-scenes info, online chats, and the opportunity to influence the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon.
Located in Central America — and with coasts on both the Pacific and the Caribbean — Costa Rica just might be the quintessential tropical country. It packs a lot of awesome inside its borders with white-sand beaches, verdant rain forests, active volcanoes, and all the cutest (and most colorful and rarest) animals. Plus, the friendly locals — known as Ticos and Ticas — are more than willing to introduce you to the pura vida.
In this episode, we discuss Costa Rican history, its unique wildlife — including a very unusual crocodile — and delicious cuisine. Then we recommend five books we love that took us there, including a must-have coffee table book, a surprising family memoir, two action-adventures novels with wildly different approaches to nature, and a magical short story collection.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-08-16-costa_rica/
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
If you like the work we’re doing and want more book recs, behind-the-scenes info, online chats, and the opportunity to influence the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon.
Astute listeners will by now have noticed that our podcast cast has been MIA since May. In this special episode, we tell you why.
Trigger warning: illness, cancer, hospital, emotional anguish.
If this were a novel, this story would be a terrifying thriller with a happy ending. In mid-May, David had emergency colon cancer surgery. He is OK now: cancer-free and healing very well. If you're curious about the specifics of what happened and what it was like for us to navigate healthcare in a foreign country, give it a listen.
We'll be back with our usual book- and travel-related episodes as soon as we can. The best way to stay informed about an updated schedule and other news is our free weekly newsletter - https://strongsenseofplace.com/signup.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
In this mini-episode, we explain why our podcasts have been MIA and when you can expect new episodes. Spoiler: It shouldn't be too long now!
The best way to stay informed about an updated schedule and other news is our free weekly newsletter — sign up right here.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Hollywood is a land of sunshine dreams, glamorous red carpets, and the magic that happens when a great story lands in the right creative hands. It's also a place where brutal business decisions make and break careers — and where the bottom line can supersede artistic decisions.
In this episode, we take a dip into Hollywood history, discuss the times the Oscars ceremony went (gloriously) off the rails, and recommend five books that transported us to the movie capital, including a primer on storytelling from a master screenwriter, a journalist's view of why we're drowning in superhero movies, and three novels with distinctly different looks at the lives and loves of film stars.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-05-10-hollywood.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
In our recent survey, we invited our audience to ask us anything, and we got 153 excellent questions in response. The queries ran the gamut from 'what's the best thing about living in Prague?' to 'how did you meet?' and 'how do you choose the books for the show?'
In this mini-episode, we answer those questions and more. We give you a behind-the-scenes peek at how we decide which destinations to cover — and when — along with our (perhaps overly-complicated) criteria for selecting the books we recommend. And, due to popular demand, we divulge the travel secrets of our cat Smudge.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
On our show, we usually get curious about a destination somewhere in the world and take you with us on a virtual trip. In this mini-episode, we're getting curious about YOU. You're invited to participate in our audience survey to let us know what's working for (and what's not), and you can suggest a future destination or theme for the show. Plus, you could win $50 in books from your favorite indie bookstore!
To take the survey, visit
http://strongsenseofplace.com/survey
For more info and the show transcript, visit http://strongsenseofplace.com/2021/03/08/podcast-mini-episode-audience-survey-2021/
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Divided in two by political and religious differences, the isle of Ireland comprises two fabulously green entities: Northern Ireland (part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (a sovereign country). Lucky for us, delicious food, compelling stories, raucous pubs, and toe-tapping music know no boundaries.
In this episode, we dig into the fraught history of The Troubles, introduce you to remarkable Irish women writers, and get real about leprechauns. Then we recommend five books that will transport you to Ireland, including a larger-than-life biography, a history of The Troubles, an atmospheric short story collection, a contemporary thriller, and a poignant historical novel set in Dublin.
Books we cover include:
- The Pull of the Stars: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
- Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
- The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became American Hero by Timothy Egan
- The Guest List by Lucy Foley
- That Old Country Music: Stories by Kevin Barry
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-02-08-ireland
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Every four years when presidential elections roll around, Pennsylvania is a big deal: It's a swing state with 20 electoral votes. But it's been a power player in politics since the beginning.
During the Gilded Age of the 19th century, captains of industry including Carnegie, Schwab, Rockefeller, Heinz, and Hershey inscribed their names on institutions throughout the state. (Thank you, Milton, for the chocolate kisses!)
Which brings us to food. Pennsylvania is snack food heaven! You've got your cheesesteaks and hoagies and stromboli. Funnel cake, whoopie pies, Twizzlers, Tastykakes, shoofly pie, and oh, yeah... scrapple.
In this episode, we discuss the state's unusual tourist attractions, romp through its history, and name-drop some of the best-known and best-loved Pennsylvanians. Then we recommend five books we love that took us to the Keystone State on the page.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-01-25-pennsylvania
Books we cover include:
- Long Bright River by Liz Moore
- Growing Up in Coal Country by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
- Ways to Hide in Winter by Sarah St.Vincent
- 2 A.M. at The Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino
- An American Childhood by Annie Dillard
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
It's our Podiversary! Podcastiversary? Podcastersary? Let's just call it our 1-year Podcast Anniversary.
In this mini-episode, we look back at our first two seasons, share a few interesting stats, and give you a sneak preview of what's coming in Season Three, including four of our upcoming destinations.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Vietnam has mostly been defined by its tumultuous history of border scuffles, invasions, and colonialism — which does this beautiful, graceful, colorful southeast Asian country a disservice.
Respect for tradition jostles up against a forward-facing attitude in Vietnam, which makes for a jumble of fascinating contrasts: the hyper-energetic urban centers of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City versus the idyllic countryside (which two-thirds of the population call home); state-mandated atheism versus a long tradition of spiritual practices; Communist government versus capitalist economy.
But spend any time getting curious about Vietnam, and one thing becomes abundantly clear: family and a reverence for tradition are nearly universal. As is a passion for flavorful food that woos all the senses and an appreciation for the country's stunning natural beauty.
In this episode, we delve into Vietnam's dramatic history and discuss what makes it like no other place on the planet, then we recommend books that transported us there on the page, including moving family sagas, first-person memoirs, and an ode to a perfect bowl of pho.
Books we talk about include:
- The Eaves of Heaven: A Life in Three Wars by Andrew X. Pham
- The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb
- The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui
- Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai
- The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-01-11-vietnam
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
In this mini-episode of our show, we talk about holiday traditions from around the world that we've added to our own celebrations... Our favorite Christmas cookies! The world's friendliest nutcracker collection! The Icelandic book party called Jólabókaflóðið! Lasagna!
Then we share one of our favorite poems, a celebration of the winter solstice by British poet Sarah Cooper.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Happy holidays!
In the 200 years since trains first started clattering on the rails, they dramatically changed industry and commerce — and inspired technological innovations that changed the world.
But we like them because they're romantic and comfortable, allow us to interact with other travelers, and are the most fun way to get out of town.
With the transcontinental railroads, far-flung destinations were connected for the first time. Entire continents were opened up to new trading opportunities, not to mention that people could travel farther and faster than they ever had before.
The world got a bit smaller, but also far grander, and a new era in travel was born. Luxury trains like the fabled Orient Express offered the curious and the posh opportunities to see the world in opulent comfort. No wonder there are so many great stories set aboard Pullman cars and steam engines.
In this episode, we briefly explore train history and discuss why train travel might just be the best mode of transportation. Then we share five books we love that capture the innovation and adventure of trains around the world.
Books that we discuss include:
- The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White
- The Edge by Dick Francis
- The Train Book: The Definitive Visual History by DK Publishing
- The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford
- Nothing Like It In the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869 by Stephen E. Ambrose
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-12-14-trains
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Peru is South America's geographical triple-threat with beach-front desert fronting the Pacific, the Andes mountains (the second-highest range in the world), and dense Amazon rainforest. It's also astonishingly beautiful with craggy peaks, lush greenery, lakes the color of aquamarine and sapphires, and so many very (very, very) cute llamas and alpacas.
It's also a mystical wonderland for travelers. There's the aerie of Machu Picchu and the wonder of the Nazca Lines carved in the desert, excursions amid the treetops of the Amazon, and the cities of Lima, Cuzco, and Arequipa, where you can visit museums by day, then dine of world-class cuisine and sip pisco sours by night.
In this episode, we explore Peru's history and culture, then recommend six books that capture Peruvian magic: two memoirs that illuminate Peru's enchanted landscapes, two cookbooks that explore the culture and fusion cuisine, a detailed account of Incas vs. conquistadors, and a gorgeous novel of friendship and adventure.
Books we discuss include:
- The Last Days Of The Incas by Kim MacQuarrie
- Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams
- The Boiling River: Adventure and Discovery in the Amazon by Andrés Ruzo
- The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley
- The Fire of Peru: Recipes and Stories from My Peruvian Kitchen by Ricardo Zarate, Jenn Garbee
- Ceviche: Peruvian Kitchen by Martin Morales
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-11-30-peru.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Located on the west coast of Africa, Nigeria is the seventh most populous country in the world — and one in six Africans is Nigerian. Its megacity Lagos is the hub of commerce for the country, and it's also known for its epic nightlife, bustling street markets, influential music scene, and Nollywood, the second-largest film industry in the world (to the tune of 1500 movies per year).
Most countries embody contradictions, but Nigeria takes it to extremes. There's vast wealth (thanks to its oil reserves) right next door to poverty; one-third of the population lives below the poverty line. Devout religious beliefs rub elbows with government corruption.
Despite all that, or perhaps because of it, Nigerian culture is boisterous, colorful, and exuberant, shaped by both religions and tribal tradition. English is the official language, and most Nigerians also speak Nigerian Pidgin, a creole language that combines local dialects, slang, and English words.
In this episode, we explore Nigeria's past and present, including the deliciously carb-centric and spicy food. Then we discuss five books that took us there on the page, including a sci-fi-noir novel, an evocative travelogue, a darkly comic story of sisterly love, a multi-generational family saga featuring Nigerian cuisine, and the tale of a village girl on a quest for an education.
The books we cover include:
- My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
- Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria by Noo Saro-Wiwa
- Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
- Rosewater: Book 1 of the Wormwood Trilogy by Tade Thompson
- The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Novel by Abi Daré
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-11-16-nigeria
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Iran (formerly known as Persia) is the second-largest country in the Middle East, and its culture reaches back through the millennia. About 2500 years ago, the Persian Empire stretched from Greece to India, and its impact is still felt in the world today.
Persia was the world's first superpower. Its leader Cyrus the Great allowed kings to continue to rule the areas he conquered, earning him the moniker 'King of Kings' and laying the foundation for our next remarkable fact: Persia was the first multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-lingual empire. Persian leaders envisioned a world in which religion was not the basis for strife and division.
So how did this society based on equality — and wildly passionate about civic improvements, art, philosophy, food, and poetry — become the theocracy we know today?
That's a long and interesting story that we explore in our podcast and through the pages of five books we love that transported us to Iran on the page.
Books we discuss include:
- Everything Sad Is Untrue: (A True Story) by Daniel Nayeri
- Searching for Hassan: A Journey to the Heart of Iran by Terence Ward
- Disoriental by Négar Djavadi
- The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
- Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-11-02-iran
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
It's no surprise that most Halloween stories delve into the dark corners and shadows of life. That premise is in the very name of the holiday. Originally known as All Hallows' Eve, it's celebrated just before All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day — two holidays meant to honor the dead. For thousands of years, people all over the world have remembered the lost with candles, rituals, costumes, and revelry.
The best Halloween stories produce tingles up the back of the neck, while also, maybe, breaking one's heart just a little bit. After all, good scares and sorrow often go hand-in-ghostly-hand.
In this episode, we get curious about Halloween traditions and explore the lore around classic creepy creatures., Then we recommend books that celebrate the spirit (and spirits) of Halloween, including stories for self-proclaimed scaredy-cats, titles that should come with a 'don't read this at night' warning label,' and a few in-between. Trick or treat!
We also talk to horror legend Steve Bissette, illustrator of 'The Swamp Thing' and writer of both fiction and non-fiction works that'll scare the pants off you.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-10-19-halloween.
Books we talked about include:
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
- Pine by Francine Toon
- Basic Witch: Witches of Salem by Harmony Hart
- Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by Deborah Howe, James Howe
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
- Something Wicked This Way Comes: A Novel by Ray Bradbury
- Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Head south to Australia and take a sharp turn east to arrive in New Zealand. It's a landscape both magical and majestic, surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Tasman Sea and southwestern Pacific.
New Zealand is a fairly new country: the first people to arrive were ancestors of the Māori, between 1200 and 1300. It took another 300 years for European explorers to show up. Modern NZ balances its colonial and Māori history with three official languages (English, Māori, and NZ sign language), and a national anthem that's sung in both Māori and English.
In this episode, we get curious about life in New Zealand, then recommend books that transported us there, including an essay collection, a memoir from an American woman who married a Māori, a novel about the 1860 gold rush, a tale of Māori mythology, and a fantasy novel set in Wellington.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-10-05-new-zealand
Books we cover include:
- The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry
- Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All by Christina Thompson
- The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
- The Colour by Rose Tremain
- Can You Tolerate This?: Essays by Ashleigh Young
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
The library is a sacred and celebratory place, filled with objects, yes — but inside those objects are imagination and possibility, heartbreak and triumph, silliness and seriousness and the whole range of human emotion and the entire history of science and art and philosophy... so far.
In this episode, we discuss some of the highlights and larger-than-life personalities of library history, then recommend books we love that put the library front and center. We've got two wonderfully nerdy nonfiction books that explore bookshelves and archives, a sweeping literary cycle centered around a magical library, a historical novel with dueling timelines, and an exuberant story about a secret library.
Books we cover include:
- The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
- The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
- The Book on the Bookshelf by Henry Petroski
- Mr. Penumbrass 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel by Robin Sloan
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
- Library: An Unquiet History by Matthew Battles
- The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
- The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-09-21-library.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Alaska is the 49th and largest state in the union. It was derided as Seward's Folly when the US Secretary of State bought the territory from Russia in 1867. But the joke was on critics: Decades later, both gold and oil were discovered in Alaska's pristine wilderness. The call of adventure was too much for pioneering Americans to resist.
When they arrived, they met the original hardy inhabitants: native peoples who'd been hunting, fishing, and gathering there since 10,000 BCE. Native tribes had followed migrating animal herds across the land bridge that once connected Russia to Alaska.
But the most noteworthy residents might be the bears, wolves, moose, eagles, whales, otters, sea lions, puffins, seals, and more that populate the state parks and — in some cases — roam city streets, reminding everyone that Alaska is equal parts danger and beauty.
In this episode, we discuss the surprises of life in Alaska, then recommend books that transported us there, including a vivid memoir, two novels in which snow plays a starring role, a coming-of-age story set in the world of commercial fishing, and two books that showcase Alaskan cuisine.
Books we talk about include:
- The Raven's Gift by Don Rearden
- If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska by Heather Lende
- The Whale and the Cupcake: Stories of Subsistence, Longing, and Community in Alaska by Julia O'Malley
- The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
- The Alaskan Laundry by Brendan Jones
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-09-07-alaska.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
When you daydream about Paris, whatever sparkling, romantic images you conjure are probably not too far off the mark. It is, after all, know as the City of Lights and the City of Love.
The Eiffel Tower can be seen from almost everywhere and is a constant reminder that you are in Paris). The streets are lined with cafés, the tables and chairs arranged so you can sit next to your companions and look out on the people passing by. The smell of baguettes wafts in the streets in the early morning. And when the sun gets lower in the sky, burnishing the buildings with its glow, people fill the cafés, drinking wine, smoking cigarettes, and talking, while their hands gesture in the air to make a point. It is, in many ways, _just_ like the movies.
In this episode, we talk about some of our favorite experiences visiting Paris and how it really does live up to its dreamy reputation. Then we discuss the books that transported us there: an insightful memoir about one lively (and typically Parisian) street, an illustrated novel about the magic of everyday life, a fictional biography of Madame Tussaud, a modern crime novel with a snappy heroine, and a confection of a story that centers around an exceptional bottle of wine.
Books we talk about include:
- Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
- The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre
- The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs by Elaine Sciolino
- Little by Edward Carey
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-08-24-paris.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
In this mini-episode, we answer a variety of questions, including how we choose the books for our show, whether or not we really love everything we recommend, how we met, previous jobs, and other behind-the-scenes info.
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
In this mini-episode, we share some of the results from our end-of-Season-1 audience survey, preview some of the changes we're making to the show, and announce the first four destinations for Season 2. We also discuss a few of the books we've read lately.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - https://bit.ly/2NWWUfF
- 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith - https://bit.ly/3e29If6
- The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón - https://bit.ly/2AzAwpC
- The Way Men Act - Elinor Lipman - https://bit.ly/2Z1cyNu
- The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern - https://bit.ly/3gqGGYm
- Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - https://bit.ly/2D5wWUY
- Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - https://bit.ly/2NUc45r
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
There is no Strong Sense of Place without you, and now we're curious about what's on your mind. Where shall we go next? What can we do better? We've put together a short survey so you can tell us just what you think.
Bonus! If you provide your email address at the end of the survey, you'll be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift card to the independent bookstore of your choice. Express yourself _and_ maybe win some free books!
Click here to take the survey!
Thank you so much!
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Feats of derring-do! Amazing acrobats! Clowns both ridiculous and poignant! Majestic animals from around the world!
For centuries, the circus has transported audiences to an enthralling in-between place: a version of our world where gravity seems to disappear and everything sparkles with glitter.
In this episode, we go behind the greasepaint and red velvet curtains to get curious about the circus. We discuss larger-than-life characters who created the modern circus and discuss what's happening in the world of new circus. Then we share the many books that confirmed our desire to run away with the circus.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-05-11-circus
You can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, with sparkling beaches, lush jungles, and mountainous forests populated by animals found nowhere else on earth. It's a beautiful place with a tough history: colonization, liberation, independence, revolution, and finally, communism.
But the island itself is colorful and welcoming. The capital city of Havana is a candy-colored dreamscape of pastel buildings, curvy American cars from the 1940s and '50s, and everywhere: smiling, friendly people. The weather is hot and humid, so the rum cocktails are cold and sweet. Cigar smoke drifts out of doorways and through balcony windows.
And then there's the music. Salsa and rumba and cha cha cha. Afro-Cuban jazz and mambo and timba. Guitars and maracas and bongos and cowbell. And literal dancing in the streets.
In this episode, we discuss books that transported us this island nation: a suspenseful police procedural, a thrilling hour-by-hour recount of the Cuba missile crisis, a sweeping family saga and ode to storytelling, a journalistic memoir of life in modern Cuba, and a boozy murder mystery that travels back to the glamorous (and dangerous) nightclubs of the 1950s.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-04-27-cuba
You can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
We're usually all about curiosity and fun facts and armchair travel and great books on our podcast. But in this mini-episode, we take a few minutes to talk about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and give you a brief update on how things are in our home.
We're both healthy, although a bit sadder than usual. We're extending all our empathy to you and yours — and hoping with our whole hearts that you're all healthy and safe.
We also want to shout out very loud thank you messages to all of the people who continue to work so that the rest of us can stay safe at home. To healthcare workers, grocery store staff, delivery people, sanitation teams, truckers, and everyone else who is making sure the services we rely on keep functioning, our deepest gratitude.
And to you, thank you for listening. We're grateful to have you with us.
You can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
As of April 2020, Sweden is the seventh-happiest country in the world. And it's no wonder! Its residents enjoy one of the highest standards of living on the planet with low unemployment, one of the world's longest life expectancies (80.6 for men; 84.1 for women), a commitment to caring for the environment, and a strong sense of community. Ninety-one percent of Swedes agreed that they know 'someone they could rely on in a time of need.'
Plus, there's ABBA.
Which is all very sweet and life-affirming. But also raises the question: Why are Swedish novels so murdery?!
In this episode, we discuss everything that makes Sweden one of the happiest and most liberal places on Earth. Then we share the books that transported us there: a historical novel steeped in royal intrigue, a coming-of-age story rich with atmosphere (and food), and examples of excellent Scandi noir, including a classic of the genre set in Stockholm, a twisty whodunnit in an isolated village, and a missing-persons case set in the forest during Midsommar.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-04-13-sweden
You can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Today, we armchair travel to the Windy City for a deep-dive into what makes Chicago different from every other city in America. We break the rules a little bit and discuss six books we love that explore Chicago's culture, food, and history of rabble-rousers and heroes.
Chicago is a representation of everything that makes the United States the awesome and challenging country that it is. There's a tradition there of firsts — the skyscraper, the telegraph, the Twinkie — and a commitment to industry with railroads and shipping and meatpacking and teamsters.
There's also a sobering history of race riots and gangsters. Daring muckrakers and corrupt politicians. Life-affirming jazz and blues musicians and baseball. Hot dogs, deep-dish pizza, and Italian beef sandwiches. And a population made up of immigrants from all over Europe that have spawned high-spirited, tough-minded native Chicagoans.
We cover all of this and more in our discussion of books and life in Chicago.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-03-30-chicago
You can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Russia is the largest country in the world. And its culture is dominated by larger-than-life historical figures, giants of literature, and sweeping landscapes. Both intentionally and inadvertently, Russia has had a massive impact on the rest of the world.
For centuries, the capital city of Moscow and former capital of St. Petersburg (a.k.a., Leningrad) have been fodder for stories of entitled tsars, idealistic revolutionaries, murderous dictators, Cold War spies, and modern political machinations.
But this Slavic nation is also known for the warmth and grit of its people, its comfort food (pickles and vodka and caviar and sausages and potatoes and borscht and buttery Chicken Kiev), and the darkly moralistic fairytales of its folklore.
In this episode, we discuss books that gave us a peek inside life in Russia: a threaded short story collection that spans history, two tales of WWII (during the Siege of Leningrad and a posh hotel in Moscow), a contemporary coming-of-age story, and a retelling of the legend of Koschei the Deathless, Russia's answer to Western fairytale villains.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about and info about our guest, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-03-16-russia
You can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Morocco can seem like something conjured from a dream. The twisty alleys of its old-town medinas hold secrets around every corner. Its markets are infused with the aroma of spices and the lilting melodies of musicians, with jewel-colored leather and scarves and rugs as far as the eye can see.
Morocco's history is just as colorful. Nomadic peoples like the Berbers and the Tuareg (a.k.a., the Blue People) were roaming and riding the Sahara desert for centuries. The cities — Tangier and Casablanca, Marrakech and Fez — were well-known havens in and around the World Wars for secret agents, ambitious businessmen, and glamorous movie stars.
In this episode, we discuss books that transported us to Morocco, including two very different — but equally moving — memoirs of personal adventures; a historical novel featuring two strong heroines and a mysterious amulet; a poignant look at the fading art of Moroccan storytelling; and a contemporary thriller about a traveler's worst nightmare.
We also talk Moroccan food and travel with Amanda Ponzio Mootaki, a.k.a., MarocMama, the founder of the MarocMama web site and Marrakech Food Tours.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about and info about our guest, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-03-02-morocco/
You can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
The sea is a metaphor for everything that's important to us: for adventure and creativity and love. It's fascinated humans since the beginning of time, inspiring poets, historians, and novelists, as well as adventurers, conquerors, and pirates.
In this episode, we discuss essential words and phrases associated with the sea — including an introduction to the first poet (a lady poet!) — and recomend books that made us feel the ocean breeze and smell the salt in the air.
Then David chats with B.J. Porter, an American father and husband from Ohio, who sailed with his family halfway around the world in their boat the Evenstar.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about and info about our guest, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-02-17-the_sea
A rebellious national spirit, a predilection for ghost stories, an affinity for smart plaids, and an appreciation of a wee dram o' whisky — Scotland is all this and so much more.
In this episode, we discuss books that swept us away to Scotland: an Edinburgh ghost story, a memoir by one of Scotland's most beloved sons, a story collection that celebrates the Scottish tradition of oral storytelling, and two books that explore the unique communities on islands in the Outer Hebrides.
We also chat with Tom Hodges, the owner of one of our all-time favorite bookshops, Typewronger Books in Edinburgh. He walks through his Bohemian days in Paris, his decision to start the bookshop, his history with typewriters, and his favorite books set in Edinburgh.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about and info about our guest Tom Hodges, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-02-03-scotland
Mexico is an inspired background for stories that explore the joy (and challenges) of family and the magic of everyday experiences.
In this episode, we discuss two wildly different family sagas. One is set during the Mexican Revolution and infused with magical realism; the other travels back-and-forth in time from contemporary Mexico City to the 1940s and '50s. We also recommended a moving coming-of-age story set in Chicago and Mexico, a detailed history of chocolate (!), and an un-put-downable beach read.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we discuss, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-01-23-mexico/
Rooted in tradition and family, the culture of Japan provides rich fodder for stories that grab hold of you and won’t let go.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into WWII-era Japan with a family saga and a nonfiction manga comic — both populated by unforgettable characters, sweeping historical events, and big feelings. We’ve also got a culture guide to all things geeky, a workplace-romantic comedy about making a dictionary, and a slim novel with a mighty impact.
We also chat with award-winning graphic novelist Tillie Walden about her extended stay in Japan and manga, the Japanese comics form that made her fall in love with comics.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we discuss and more on our guest Tillie Walden, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-01-22-japan/
In a restaurant kitchen, the chef is the ultimate authority, a figure that can inspire fear, rebelliousness, and a cult of personality. But it's not only the kitchen boss that makes restaurants a hotbed for excellent stories.
In this episode, the books we share will introduce you to relatable and loveable characters. The settings include a Chinese restaurant in Maryland, a Lebanese café in Los Angeles, the last night at a Red Lobster in Connecticut, and a fine-dining experience with an unforgettable waiter in Oslo, Norway. We also get into the nitty-gritty of restaurant life with a nonfiction book — written by an accountant (!) — that's surprisingly compelling.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we discuss, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-01-21-restaurant/
Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, home of the world's best beer, stunning architecture, and oh, yeah: ancient secrets.
In this episode, we've got two books that transported us directly into communist territory during the Cold War, crime stories that explore the shadowy side of Prague, a fresh look at two Czech heroes of WWII, and more — all of which hit us right in our feelings.
We also chat with travel writer Mark Baker. He's lived in Prague for more than 20 years and gives us the inside story on the city's bookshops, spies, and ghosts.
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about and info about our guest Mark Baker, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-01-20-prague
In this mini-episode, we introduce ourselves and talk about what the phrase 'strong sense of place' means to us. We'll also discuss why we started this show, our no-spoiler guarantee, and why we think you'll like this podcast.
Starting January 20th, 2020, we're on a trip around the globe, one great book at a time — please join us!