Strong Sense of Place | Travel Through Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Twitter  Instagram  Facebook Happy holidays!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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