Strong Sense of Place | Travel Through Books

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-hotelsDo 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/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. SomtowFor 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-thailandDo 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/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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-icelandDo 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/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices