Podd: Strong Sense of Place

Replay: A Mini-Episode With Answers to Questions from Our Audience

11 april 2025 | 27 min

LoLT: The Witches of Scotland Tartan and Two New Books

4 april 2025 | 13 min

LoLT: The Skellig Coast Dark Sky Festival and Two New Books

28 mars 2025 | 11 min

LoLT: The Joy of Lying on the Floor and Two New Books

21 mars 2025 | 11 min

LoLT: The ‘Order Up’ Word Game and Two New Books

7 mars 2025 | 13 min

LoLT: Tips for Memorable Travel and Two New Books

28 februari 2025 | 12 min

LoLT: The Best Croissant in Paris and Two New Books

21 februari 2025 | 20 min

LoLT: A Special Poem for Valentine’s Day and Two New Books

14 februari 2025 | 15 min

LoLT: Grammy-Nominated Audiobook and Two Great Books

31 januari 2025 | 13 min

LoLT: Tips for Reading Long Novels and Two Great Books

24 januari 2025 | 23 min

Join Us for an IRL Manor House Weekend in Wales!

17 januari 2025 | 20 min

Spend a bookish weekend with us in a country manor house!

For centuries, nobles and ne'er-do-wells have gathered on country estates for a bit of leisure, a lot of sumptuous food, sparkling conversation, and general good cheer. You’re invited to join us at Trevor Hall for a modern take on the traditional manor house weekend.

Together, we’ll make ourselves at home in this historic Georgian mansion surrounded by the picturesque North Wales countryside. We’ll talk about books, share gourmet meals in the Great Hall, play parlor games, ramble in the Welsh hills, listen to stories by candlelight, and be dazzled by an illusionist from London.

Our weekend begins in Manchester, England — a UNESCO City of Literature. We’ll take over a boutique hotel in the city center where we’ll enjoy an evening pub meetup, spend the night, and start our morning with a breakfast fry-up. Then we’re off to the Elizabeth Gaskell House for a private tour of the Victorian villa where the author wrote her classic novel ‘North and South’ (and entertained literary friends like Charlotte Brontë and Charles Dickens).

After a restorative tea-and-cake break, we’ll ride together via private motor coach — just over an hour — through the rugged countryside to Llangollen, a charming historic town on the River Dee in North Wales. Our destination: Trevor Hall.

The Hall is a Georgian mansion on a wooded hilltop overlooking green slopes dotted with sheep and horses. After a tour of the house and gardens, we’ll ease into country living in the Hall’s luxurious (and tastefully eclectic) rooms. With literary activities, entertainment, and surprises planned throughout the weekend, you’re sure to be delighted — and have plenty of time to connect with old and new bookish friends.

For complete details about the weekend and lots of photos, visit strongsenseofplace.com/weekend.

For early access to tickets for a Readers' Weekend at Trevor Hall, join our Patreon.

To be notified the minute tickets go on sale, join our free Substack newsletter.

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

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LoLT: Graphic Novels for Newbies and Two Great Books

13 december 2024 | 20 min

LoLT: Dave’s Board Game Recs and Two New Books

6 december 2024 | 14 min

Home for the Holidays [ repost ]

26 november 2024 | 25 min

LoLT: Adorable Cozy Games and Three New Books

22 november 2024 | 17 min

LoLT: Sandwich Designer of the Year and Two New Books

15 november 2024 | 20 min

Seattle: City of Superlatives

8 november 2024 | 67 min

Hello! Please take our end-of-the-season survey at http://strongsenseofplace.com/survey! We'd love to hear from you.

Seattle is a mashup of water and mountains — it just might be the ultimate outdoor playground. If you want to go hiking, camping, boating, biking, or meander in a beautiful garden, Seattle is a fantastic place to do all of that.

It can also claim a vast realm of ‘firsts’ in music, architecture, politics, and literature. (Not to mention Bigfoot sightings, if that’s your thing.) There’s grunge music, Elvis appearances, the Seattle Seahawks’ 12th Man, an inordinate number of sunglasses, and more library cards than anywhere else in the United States.

The city also hosted two World’s Fairs: the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition in 1909 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush (you do not want to miss the Two Truths and a Lie story about that one!) — and the Century 21 Exposition in 1962. That one tried to predict what life in America would be like in the year 2000 and beyond — which gave us the Space Needle, the Alweg Monorail, and a car shaped like a rocket.

In this episode, we learn the stories of a few remarkable Seattle women, celebrate Seattle’s superlatives, and share a bookish itinerary for the ‘Most Literate City in the Country.’ Then we recommend seven great books that took us there on the page, including an unusual ghost story, a memoir about living in 1950s Seattle, a thriller set in the world of journalism, three graphic novels that will make you want to take a walk, and a modern fable set in the San Juan islands.

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of Seattle: City of Superlatives

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: An Absinthe Caper and Two New Books

1 november 2024 | 16 min

Cemetery: Celebrate Life, Honor the Dead.

25 oktober 2024 | 72 min

LoLT: Accidentally Wes Anderson and Two New Books

18 oktober 2024 | 15 min

Brazil: Sugarloaf, Samba, and Sao Paulo

11 oktober 2024 | 67 min

If you think a trip to Brazil is an invitation to the best party ever, you are correct! Colorful, sizzling, breathtakingly beautiful, and populated with friendly people (and amazing animals), Brazil is the place for good times, good food, good drinks, and good energy.

We begin with the Amazon, a vast rainforest and river teeming with magical creatures like pink dolphins, bioluminescent mushrooms, and — yes — piranhas and anacondas. (Shout-out to the friendly capybaras!)

Brazil’s cities offer something for everyone — the capital city of Brasília’s futuristic architecture, Sao Paulo’s international food scene, and Rio’s seductive combo of city sights and sparkling beaches. (There’s a reason we’ve been singing about the tall and tan, young and lovely girl from Ipanema for decades.)

While you’re surely ready to dance the samba and drink a few caipirinhas, did you know Brazil is also the place for award-winning cheese? Or a spring-fed pool that feels like champagne? Or ‘chestnuts from Para’?

In this episode, we explore Brazil’s rainforest and urban jungles, dig into the fascinating (really!) story of Brazil nuts, and meet one of the world’s finest Emperors. Then we recommend five great books that took us there on the page:

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other awesome readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of Brazil: Sugarloaf, Samba, and Sao Paulo

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want to be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: History Extra Halloween Podcasts and Two New Books

4 oktober 2024 | 13 min

Saudi Arabia: Old Ways and New Directions (?)

26 september 2024 | 66 min

Saudi Arabia is the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula, a sea of sand (95% of the country is desert) that holds 17% of the world’s petroleum reserves.

Its cities encapsulate the country’s contradictions: ancient souks and ultra-modern skyscrapers, women veiled in abayas but also entering the workforce, petroleum refineries, and sparkling beach resorts.

Cards on the table: Saudi Arabia has an abysmal track record on human rights, with women, LGBTQ+ communities, and journalists the target of discrimination and violence. Women are still legally classified as minors, with male relatives making significant decisions on their behalf. But in the last few years, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — known as MBS — passed laws that lessened some restrictions with Saudi Arabia. And he’s invited the world in: His Vision 2030 plan opened Saudi Arabia to tourism. Road signs and menus now appear in English, Western credit cards are widely accepted, and you can even catch an Uber.

In this episode, we dive into the changing norms in Saudi Arabia, talk about some of the amazing sights that are now open to the Western world, and discuss the ambitious Neom project: a ‘city of the future’ in the desert.

Then we recommend five books that took us to Saudi Arabia on the page:

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of Saudi Arabia: Old Ways and New Directions (?)

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: World’s Best Art Detective and Two New Books

20 september 2024 | 12 min

Detective Agency: Discrete Inquiries, Mysteries Solved

13 september 2024 | 71 min

Fictional detectives are some of the most beloved characters in print and on-screen. It’s easy to relate to someone with an overblown sense of justice and a need to set the world right (or as right as it can be).

There are nosy neighbors like Nancy Drew and Miss Marple with no real credentials whatsoever and police detectives — Hello, Harry Bosch! Ta, Inspector Lynley! — with entire departments behind them. Relentless journalists, dogged medical examiners, resourceful bounty hunters (We see you, Stefanie Plum!), and, perhaps, the most endearing detectives of them all: private eyes.

This show is all about the gumshoes who work outside the pesky laws of search warrants and chain of evidence. Who maybe toil in an office with a frosted glass door and a dame with moxie tapping away at a typewriter — or perhaps the dame with moxie is the detective. This installment celebrates independent investigators who distract and delight in their search for the truth.

In this episode, we meet the world’s first PI and first American lady detective, delve into Poe scholarship and the problem with his ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue,’ and discuss one of the kindest mystery authors. Then we recommend five books we love that put us in the thick of dangerous inquiries, including the escapades of a thoroughly modern detective agency, an urban mystery with a bookish PI, a British caper with an unforgettable hero, a how-to for wannabe detectives, and a noir-tinged fantasy novel about a reluctant sleuth.

Here are the books about Detective Agencies we recommend on the show:

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of Detective Agency: Discrete Inquiries, Mysteries Solved

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: Delightful Walking Tours and Two New Books

6 september 2024 | 16 min

Panama: Jump Back, What’s That Sound?

30 augusti 2024 | 68 min

The Central American country of Panama is like a stretched-out letter S, lying on its side to soak up the sun — with the Pacific and the Caribbean snuggling up to its curves.

The capital, Panama City, in the bottom arch of the S, invites you to stroll down red-brick streets lined with lush palm trees and white colonial buildings that look like layer cakes. You can stroll along the seafront and gaze out across the Pacific — and daydream about the 17th-century pirates that sailed nearby.

When you’re ready for adventure, you might hike to the top of Panama’s highest mountain — Volcán Barú — to watch the sun rise over both the Atlantic and Pacific, volunteer in Cerra Hoya National Park to study jaguars, spend the night a traditional village in the jungle with the Emberá people, or kick back at an artistic island resort.

Maybe it’s more your speed to spend endless days in your bathing suit, eating fresh fish just pulled from the sea, or sipping some of the world’s best coffee. Panama has all of that and more.

In this episode, we get curious about the Panama Canal, discuss the relative sobriety of dwarf sloths, and get real about what it’s like to spend time in the jungle.

Then we recommend five great books that took us to Panama on the page:

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of Panama: Jump Back, What’s That Sound?

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: Morgan Richter Recommends Batman and Two New Books

23 augusti 2024 | 15 min

Norway: Vikings, Bears, Boats, and Bergen

16 augusti 2024 | 69 min

Yes, Norway has cities that are well worth a visit — Hallo, Oslo! Hei, Bergen! God morgen, Tromsø! — but nature is right there at every moment.

Where the coast of Norway meets the Norwegian Sea, there are more than 1700 fjords, stunning waterways lined with sheer rock cliffs and dotted with dramatic waterfalls, storybook villages, and friendly goats and sheep. The best way to experience the fjords? By boat, of course: a dinner cruise, catamaran, sailboat, kayak, ferry, whale watching boat, or a breathtaking ride on a fjord safari.

Inland, you can meet the locals of past and present. Stop by the fascinating Viking Village to time travel to 1000 (and learn to throw an axe!) — or spend an afternoon among the bears, reindeer, wolves, lynx, and leopards at the Bjørn Parken (Bear Park). You can feed a fox!

When you’re ready for a meal, too, sink your teeth into Norway’s national snack: the hot dog — with lingonberry jam and french-fried onions — or try the ubiquitous and one-of-a-kind brunost (brown cheese). Caramelized, savory, and surprising, it’s just what you want on a cracker or waffle. And don’t sleep on the smoked salmon, pickled herring, or shrimp plucked from the nearby icy waters.

In this episode, we get excited about all the exhilarating, unexpected, delightful adventures Norway offers — and talk about why the Norwegian government employs financial planners and moral philosophers. Then we recommend five great books we love that took us to Norway on the page:

The Bell in the Lake by Lars Mytting, Deborah Dawkin (translator)
We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance by David Howarth
The Hike by Lucy Clarke
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
The Sunlit Night by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of Norway: Vikings, Bears, Boats, and Bergen

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: Postcard Pen Pals and Two New Books

9 augusti 2024 | 8 min

Paris: It’s Always a Good Idea

2 augusti 2024 | 52 min

We’re on summer holiday! In honor of the Olympics taking place in Paris right now, please enjoy this replay of our Paris episode.

Paris: It’s Always a Good Idea - 24 August 2020

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.

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other friendly readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of Paris: It’s Always a Good Idea

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

As always, you can find us at:

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: The Lost Tomb of Genghis Khan and Two New Books

26 juli 2024 | 15 min

Mongolia: Under the Eternal Blue Sky

19 juli 2024 | 67 min

If we say ‘Mongolia,’ and you imagine an eagle hunter on horseback silhouetted against an endless blue sky and vast open plains, you are not wrong. Ditto for thinking of Chingiss Khan, frigid winters, and resilient nomads in gers (yurts).

While those perceptions are valid, Mongolia may have some surprises for you. The sun shines 250 days a year, and summer days are luxuriously long and warm. Yes, Khan is a national hero (see: the 3-story glimmering steel statue of the Mongol leader on horseback), but Mongolians are most welcoming. The flap door of a ger is open to all, friends and strangers alike — and a hot bowl of milk tea will appear as soon as you cross the threshold.

In the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, you can eat in restaurants, visit a temple, and wander through museums. When you’ve had enough of the bustle, ride into the steppes — on a horse, a camel, or an all-terrain jeep — and back in time. Under that vast sky, you can head north to spruce forests that stretch toward Russia, or west to the jaggy Altai mountains, or south to the wind-swept dunes of the Gobi Deserts (and, eventually, China).

In this episode, we meet a formidable Mongolian warrior princess, listen to the otherworldly sound of Tuvan throat singing, and travel back in history with the annual Naadam Festival (a.k.a. the Mongolian Olympics).

Then we recommend five great books that took us to Mongolia on the page:

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other friendly readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of Mongolia: Under the Eternal Blue Sky

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: The ‘Pack One Bag’ Podcast and Two New Books

12 juli 2024 | 14 min

Outer Space: We Are All Made of Stars

5 juli 2024 | 68 min

As you read these words and listen to our podcast, we’re all riding on a ball about 8000 miles (13,000 km) across. Our rotating disco ball in space is dancing around the sun at about 67,000 mph (107,000 km/h).

Our sun is about 93 million miles (150 million km away), shooting us with subatomic particles. Probably not maliciously, but who knows? The sun might be a trickster. It’s also filling our solar system with light so we can see all the other planets, comets, asteroids, dwarf planets, and moons in orbit.

As humans, it’s nearly impossible to not put ourselves at the center of the world — we all have main-character energy. For millions of years, we puny humans have looked up at the sky and tried to understand just what the devil is going on and where we belong in the whole situation.

In this episode, we try to unpack many of the mind-blowing facts we know about space and our expanding universe — and we get real about the emotional impact of embracing our stardust origins. We talk about the condition called the Overview Effect and whether or not space smells funny. Then we recommend great books that took us there on the page:

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowell
The Mars House by Natasha Pulley
The Milky Way by Moiya McTier
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertolino

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of Outer Space: We Are All Made of Stars

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: Three Great Stories About India and Two New Books

28 juni 2024 | 12 min

India: The Continent Masquerading as a Country

21 juni 2024 | 66 min

India seems committed to being over-the-top in the best way possible. It’s colorful, noisy, crowded, vast, deeply historic, spiritual, vibrantly modern, multi-lingual, and stunningly beautiful.

Want to get loud? India is the place for you! Sure, its population of 1.4 billion people might overwhelm you with the sheer crush of humanity, but its cities have an undeniable energy once you’re acclimated. Delhi, the capital, has everything that makes travel great: ancient forts, mosques and temples, leafy parks and botanical gardens, sprawling bazaars, and bustling lanes of street food.

Feeling like a quiet retreat? India is the birthplace of yoga and meditation. You could visit Rishikesh, on the bank of the Ganges, to practice asanas in the birthplace of yoga.

India is also a fantastic place to shop for jewelry in a market, eat the best curries in the world, browse epic English-language bookstores, wander through centuries-old forts, and, of course, marvel at the Taj Mahal.

In this episode, we celebrate the poet Kabir Das, talk about dolphin rights, dig into Salvador Dali’s quirks, and explore India’s Golden Triangle. Then we recommend five great books that took us to India on the page:

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.

Transcript of India: The Continent Masquerading as a Country

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: Immersive Storytelling with the Chaos League and Two New Books

14 juni 2024 | 15 min

New York City: NO! SLEEP! TILL BROOKLYN!

7 juni 2024 | 68 min

Is New York City the world capital of… everything? It’s sure putting up a good effort.

We could talk about how the New York Stock Exchange started under a tree (!) on Wall Street and how NYC is now the financial capital of the world. Billionaires, millionaires, blah blah blah.

Let’s talk about what really matters.

Like… the best pizza and bagels in the world, the Met and the New York Public Library, art deco skyscrapers and bodega cats, Carnegie Hall, Broadway, Rockefeller Center, and that one place on the corner in Brooklyn with the best Polish pastries.

There’s the immediately identifiable New York accent and the 800 or so languages spoken by New Yorkers from all around the world. The City That Never Sleeps is the ultimate melting pot; we’re all better for it.

New Yorkers are a unique breed who’ve changed the personality of the city over and over again. Dutch and British settlers named the place, immigrants made it cosmopolitan, the elite of the Gilded Age filled it with skyscrapers, and barriers were busted by the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. And let’s not forget the unnamed good samaritan on the subway who will warn you that the next station is closed so you need to transfer.

In this episode, we grab an imaginary coffee to go in a ‘We Are Happy to Serve You’ cup and explore the ultimate bookish day in New York City. In Two Truths and a Lie, we meet the musicians of the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and visit a Brooklyn store where you can buy a can of chutzpah. Then we recommend six great books that took us to New York City on the page, including two graphic novels, a love letter to ’90s Manhattan, a frothy family saga, historical fiction with a challenging heroine, and a collection of short stories from a master of fiction.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

LaserWriter II by Tamara Shopsin

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González

Hello, NY by Julia Rothman

Roaming by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki

Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other smart, friendly people who love travel and books.

Transcript of New York City: NO! SLEEP! TILL BROOKLYN!

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly.

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

LoLT: A Neat Trick For Managing Your Library and Two New Books

31 maj 2024 | 9 min

France: Mostly Here for the Butter

24 maj 2024 | 68 min

According to people in the know, there are two Frances: Paris and the rest of the (alluring, picturesque) country. In this episode, we’re celebrating the châteaux, coastlines, cathedrals, cuisine, mountains, and museums that give France its unique je ne sais quoi.

It’s hard to argue with the notion that France offers the best of everything. From scenery and snacks to iconic art, world-changing history, and culture-shaping fashion, it’s practically ground zero for the good things in life. The light is golden. The wine is luscious. The cheese is heavenly, and the scenery is so beautiful, it makes the heart yearn.

You can take a road trip or a bike ride among the purple rivers of lavender fields in Provence or the gilt-and-green vineyards in Burgundy. Loll in the sun and splash in the sea along the Riviera — or tour a château where nobles ruled and romanced 500 years ago. Wander the streets and cafés that inspired Vincent Van Gogh, then relax under a shade tree with a perfect baguette and the world’s best butter.

In this episode, we take a virtual road trip around France, explore the Bayeux Tapestry, and get curious about an obscure (and deeply romantic) French law. Then we recommend five great books that took us to France on the page.

Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier, translated by Polly Mackintosh

Joan by Katherine J. Chen

Murder on the Île Sordou by M.L. Longworth

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin, translated by Hildegarde Serle

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes.

Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other smart, friendly people who love travel and books.

Transcript of France: Mostly Here for the Butter

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!

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

Our Top 10 Books from the First Five Seasons of Strong Sense of Place

17 maj 2024 | 33 min

The 2024 ‘Ask Us Anything’ Episode: In Which We Answer Audience Questions

10 maj 2024 | 35 min

SSoP Podcast Season 6: Announcing 12 Fascinating Destinations

3 maj 2024 | 9 min

LoLT: The Magic of Music Discovery and Two New Books

26 april 2024 | 12 min

LoLT: Amy Tector’s Poetry Habit and Two New Books

19 april 2024 | 14 min

LoLT: The Currywurst Story & Two New Books (replay)

12 april 2024 | 9 min

LoLT: Inspiring Brontë Stories and Two New Books

5 april 2024 | 17 min

LoLT: Immersive Theater and Two New Books

29 mars 2024 | 16 min

LoLT: Rambutan Restaurant London and Two New Books

22 mars 2024 | 17 min

LoLT: The Forty Elephants Girl Gang and Two New Books — 05 May 2023

15 mars 2024 | 9 min

LoLT: Stanfords Travel Bookshop and Two New Books

8 mars 2024 | 11 min

LoLT: Mel’s Shakespeare Project and Two New Books

1 mars 2024 | 18 min

LoLT: Chicken Soup Manifesto and Two New Books

23 februari 2024 | 13 min

LoLT: 2024’s Unmissable Events and Two New Books

16 februari 2024 | 10 min

LoLT: A Valentine’s Day Poem and Two New Books

9 februari 2024 | 11 min

LoLT: Judith Viorst & Alexander and Two New Books

2 februari 2024 | 14 min

LoLT: Namibia Cam and Two New Books

26 januari 2024 | 13 min

LoLT: Planet Word and Two New Books

19 januari 2024 | 8 min

LoLT: New Podcast Recommendations and Two New Books

12 januari 2024 | 15 min

LoLT: The British Library Hack and Two New Books

5 januari 2024 | 12 min

LoLT: Reading Resolutions and Two Great Books

29 december 2023 | 14 min

LoLT: (Fun) Christmas To-Do List and Two New Books

22 december 2023 | 12 min

LoLT: Celebrating Crustmas and Two New Books

15 december 2023 | 16 min

LoLT: Best Books of 2022 & New Books

8 december 2023 | 9 min

LoLT: Tabletop Game Recommendations and Two New Books

1 december 2023 | 12 min

A Mini-Episode to Wish You A Cozy and Happy Thanksgiving

20 november 2023 | 25 min

LoLT: Proper British Beavers and Two New Books

17 november 2023 | 12 min

LoLT: Wes Anderson Shorts and Two New Books

10 november 2023 | 15 min

LoLT: Slow Travel Videos and Two New Books

3 november 2023 | 8 min

LoLT: What is Gothic? and Two New Books

27 oktober 2023 | 16 min

LoLT: Best Public Libraries and Two New Books

20 oktober 2023 | 9 min

LoLT: Cookbooks with a Strong Sense of Place and Two New Books

13 oktober 2023 | 18 min

LoLT: The Food & Fashion Exhibit and Two New Books

6 oktober 2023 | 13 min

LoLT: Playing with Connections and Two New Books

29 september 2023 | 12 min

LoLT: The Hermanus Whale Festival and Two New Books

22 september 2023 | 9 min

LoLT: ‘The Wheel of Time’ and Two New Books

15 september 2023 | 12 min

LoLT: Award-Nominated Nonfiction and Two New Books

8 september 2023 | 11 min

LoLT: The Great Philly Cheesesteak Debate and Two New Books

1 september 2023 | 13 min

LoLT: Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Two New Books

25 augusti 2023 | 11 min

LoLT: The Long Now Foundation and Two New Books

11 augusti 2023 | 7 min

LoLT: Remembering the Concorde and Two New Books

4 augusti 2023 | 11 min

Bonus Episode With Tasha Sounart, Creative Director of Theme Parks at Pixar

28 juli 2023 | 23 min

LoLT: Phantom Islands and Two New Books

21 juli 2023 | 9 min

Amusement Parks: Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!

17 juli 2023 | 63 min

LoLT: Beautiful Street Art by NeSpoon & Two Great Books

14 juli 2023 | 10 min

LoLT: A Sneaky Socialite and Two New Books

7 juli 2023 | 13 min

LoLT: Postcard Pen Pals and Two New Books

30 juni 2023 | 8 min

Argentina: Tango to the End of the World

26 juni 2023 | 63 min

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.

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LoLT: A Celebration of the Big Bang and Two New Books

23 juni 2023 | 7 min

LoLT: The Literary Fun of ‘80 Days’ and Two New Books

16 juni 2023 | 10 min

Kenya: Hurrying Has No Blessing

12 juni 2023 | 55 min

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:

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.

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LoLT: Shakespeare’s First Folio and Two New Books

9 juni 2023 | 7 min

LoLT: 1917 Pulitzer Prize and Two New Books

2 juni 2023 | 10 min

Theater: Act One, Scene I, Lights Up

29 maj 2023 | 62 min

Google the words’ history of theater,’ and you’ll get a timeline that begins in ancient Greece, circa the 6th century BCE, and high-kicks forward through time to Broadway and London’s West End.

And that’s accurate. But it’s also missing the dramatic developments in storytelling techniques happening in other parts of the world — Japan, China, Indonesia, India — at the same time. While European peasants learned to walk the straight and narrow via morality plays, Asian theater-goers explored mythology via shadow puppets, dance, and dramatic masks.

In this episode, we travel the world (and through time) for a make-believe theater festival that takes us from Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London to the lights of Broadway, then to South America and Indonesia. We drop in on the premier of Fiddler on the Roof, learn about an avant-garde approach to theater meant to build empathy, and are dazzled by puppets that bring kings and demons to life.

Then we recommend five great books that took us straight to our seats in the theater, including a novel about a very bad actor making his Broadway debut, a lively retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, a peek inside the creative minds behind beloved musicals, historical fiction about Bram Stoker’s time at London’s legendary Lyceum Theatre, and an unputdownable slice of dark academia with tender theater kids at its heart.

Here are the books about theater we recommend on the show:

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes.

Transcript of Theater: Act One, Scene I, Lights Up.

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

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LoLT: Literary Street in Vilnius and Two New Books

19 maj 2023 | 10 min

Maine: Lighthouses, Lobster Rolls, and the King of Horror

15 maj 2023 | 54 min

Perched in the top-right corner of the US, Maine is wrapped in a snuggly hug from Canada and bravely faces the crashing Atlantic. If bracing sea air, glorious pine trees, and fresh-from-the-ocean seafood is your thing, you’re going to want to visit asap.

Maine’s 5000 miles (8000 km) of coastline mean there are dozens of lighthouses, ample excuses to get out in a boat (kayaking along the Maine Island trail, anyone?), and opportunities to see puffins, seals, and whales in their natural habitat.

Or set your sights on the forest! The Pine Tree State is perfect for honing your Disney princess skills with moose, black bears, white-tailed deer, river otters, foxes, and other furry forest creatures.

When you’re ready to get cozy with a book, there’s the poetry of Longfellow, the delight of Charlotte’s Web, and the malevolent Pennywise, who is the terrifying and brilliant invention of Maine’s number one literary hero, Stephen King.

In this episode, we get hungry for lobster rolls and Maine blueberries, learn some funny island names, and honor a delightful ambassador to Maine. Then we recommend five books that took us to Maine on the page, including a Gothic coming-of-age story, two vastly different (but unputdownable) memoirs, a literary crime novel, and a sweet story about the magical power of love and the Northern Lights.

Here are the books about Maine we recommend on the show:

Grange House by Sarah Blake
The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel
The Midcoast by Adam White
Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches by John Hodgman
Almost, Maine by John Cariani

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes.

Transcript of Maine: Lighthouses, Lobster Rolls, and the King of Horror.

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content?

Please support our work on Patreon!

Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

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

LoLT: Jeremy Anderberg Recommends Shepherd.com and Two New Books

12 maj 2023 | 10 min

LoLT: The Forty Elephants Girl Gang and Two New Books

5 maj 2023 | 8 min

London: The Tower, Tudors, and a Nice Cuppa Tea

1 maj 2023 | 63 min

LoLT: How to Find Your Favorite Poems and Two New Books

28 april 2023 | 11 min

LoLT: Charlotte Brontë’s Emma and Two New Books

21 april 2023 | 10 min

Lebanon: Surrender to the Call of the Mijwiz

17 april 2023 | 72 min

If you were born anytime after, say, 1974, you probably associate Lebanon and its capital city of Beirut with political strife, violence, and bombed-out buildings. But this beautiful, misunderstood country is far more than its troubled past.

Lebanon is a tiny nation on the eastern side of the Mediterranean. Its capital city of Beirut was once known as the Paris of the East, a holiday getaway for movie stars, moguls, and spies. Lebanon’s coast is still a dreamy beach destination with long stretches of sand — or dramatic rock formations — lined with palm trees on one side and perfect turquoise-blue water on the other.

The name Lebanon comes from the Semitic word lbn in reference to the snow-kissed Mount Lebanon range. The interior’s rugged mountains are great for winter skiing and hiking among the fragrant cedar trees during the warmer months.

You can also visit wineries, explore ancient ruins, dance the dabka, and eat delicious things like hummus, kibbeh, kofta, tabbouleh, and baklava — a.k.a. some of Mel’s favorite food in the world.

In this episode, we briefly walk through the long history of Lebanon, delve into amazing stories of sibling rivalry and bank robbery, and Mel shares the story of her Lebanese great-grandmother. Then we recommend great books that took us to Lebanon on the page.

Here are the books about Lebanon we recommend on the show:

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes.

Transcript of Lebanon: WORDS.

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LoLT: Adopt-a-Listener Month & Two New Books

14 april 2023 | 10 min

LoLT: Exclamation Points! & Two New Books

7 april 2023 | 9 min

Sri Lanka: Remarkable, Relentless, Resplendent

3 april 2023 | 61 min

Sri Lanka is known for its rich, full-bodied Ceylon tea, fishermen on stilts, and staggering beauty. If you want to visit an elephant sanctuary, trek to a mountaintop monastery, or swim (and surf) in crystal-blue waters, this teardrop-shaped island in the Bay of Bengal is the place to go.

In contrast to its warm, soothing climate is its long history of civil war. The conflict that raged from 1983 until 2009 between the mostly-Sinhalese government and the insurgent Tamil Tigers had a profound and lasting effect on the population.

But none of that has curbed Sri Lankans’ welcoming temperament nor the island’s natural charms. There’s world-class street food — all manner of crunchy, savory fried things, spicy curries, and tropical fruits like nothing you’ve ever seen before. There are sparkling waterfalls, whale watching and leopard sightings, and an iconic train ride through lush green jungles dotted with colorful flowers. All giving truth to the name Sri (Resplendent) Lanka (Island).

In this episode, we explore Sri Lankan legend, get nostalgic about Duran Duran, hear the details of a remarkable airplane adventure, and get very curious about wood fruit. Then we recommend five great books that took us to Sri Lanka on the page, including an adventure memoir by the world’s best travel writer, an unusual crime story, a colorful cookbook, and two dream-like novels set during the civil war years, one of which Mel clutched to her chest in a hug.

Here are the books about bookshops we recommend on the show:

Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje

The Hamilton Case by Michelle de Kretser

Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka by Cynthia Shanmugalingam

Elephant Complex: Travels In Sri Lanka by John Gimlette

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes.

Transcript of Sri Lanka: Remarkable, Relentless, Resplendent.

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

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LoLT: The Regency Cook & Two New Books

31 mars 2023 | 9 min

LoLT: Best of Shetland Islands & Two New Books

24 mars 2023 | 11 min

Bookshops: Mostly Paper and Magic

20 mars 2023 | 55 min

A bookshop is a special (maybe enchanted) place found all over the world and staffed by booksellers who seem to have a preternatural ability to put just the right book in your hands.

People have been buying and selling books since about 300 BCE. During the latter part of the Roman empire, when all the best homes included a personal library, the book trade was boomin’. Back then, shops posted a list of titles for sale on their doors.

The kind of store we think of when someone says ‘bookshop’ was initially tied closely to printing. The first booksellers were also editors and printers who made the books, then sold them to the reading public. Eventually, those specialties split apart: Publishers worked with authors to create books, and booksellers placed them into the hands of readers.

And we’re all better for it.

In this episode, we talk about the world’s oldest bookshop and discuss some remarkable bookstores around the world, including a bookshop in paradise and Scotland’s National Book Town. We also learn about a shocking bookstore-related medical phenomenon! Then we recommend great books that took us inside the world of bookshops.

Here are the books about bookshops we recommend on the show:

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount
Spine Poems by Annette Dauphin Simon
Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner
Booked to Die by John Dunning
The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes.

Transcript of Bookshops: Mostly Paper and Magic.

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

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LoLT: The Gotham Book Prize & Two New Books

17 mars 2023 | 9 min

Jamaica: Let's Get Together and Feel All Right

6 mars 2023 | 59 min

The mountains of Jamaica rise up out of the turquoise-blue Caribbean. From those jaggy peaks, rolling hills — covered in lush green rainforests — taper down to soft-sand beaches along the coast.

It makes perfect sense that the first Jamaican inhabitants — the Taino from South America — gave the island a name that means ‘Land of Wood and Water.’ It’s all as if paradise is beckoning you to come, sit, relax.

Music floats on the air in both the rhythmic lilt of reggae music and Jamaican patois, a creole language that combines elements of English, Spanish, and African languages.

Yes, there are pirates in Jamaica’s past, along with Spanish conquistadors, British interlopers, and a history of slavery. But Jamaica is now a cultural superpower, sharing its feel-good music (with a message), colorful cuisine, star athletes, and multicultural gifts with the world.

In this episode, we explore the so-literal-they’re-poetic names of some Jamaican towns, sing along to our favorite Bob Marley tunes, dig into the history of jerk chicken, and spy on Ian Fleming’s Jamaican estate. Then we recommend five great books that took us to Jamaica on the page.

Here are the books we recommended in the show:

Black Cake: A Novel by Charmaine Wilkerson

https://bit.ly/3XSUjVH

If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery

https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780374605988

Black Heart of Jamaica by Julia Golding

https://amzn.to/3Yx6cRK

Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook by Melissa Thompson

https://bit.ly/3ZjfUrj

West Winds: Recipes, History and Tales from Jamaica by Riaz Phillips

https://bit.ly/3YXmkg9

The Last Warner Woman by Kei Miller - audio

https://amzn.to/3Yx6JmI

The Last Warner Woman by Kei Miller - print

https://bit.ly/41oF4GP

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2023–03–06-jamaica

Transcript: http://strongsenseofplace.com/transcriptions/47_jamaica_transcript

Do you enjoy our show and website? Do you love bonus content? Do you enjoy chatting with other book lovers? Please consider supporting our work on Patreon! You’ll get access to bonus goodies, input on which destinations we cover each season, and become part of the Strong Sense of Place community. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Get all the info you need right here.

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LoLT: Solving a 16th-Century Code & Two New Books

3 mars 2023 | 9 min

LoLT: Peek Inside Virginia Woolf's Diaries & Two New Books

24 februari 2023 | 8 min

New Orleans: Pass a Good Time

20 februari 2023 | 55 min

When you’re ready to let the good times roll, there’s no place like New Orleans to cut loose, indulge in local grub, sip something intoxicating, and soak up the atmosphere while tapping your toes to some of the best music on the planet.

New Orleans was born as a port city in 1718. What set New Orleans apart then (and now) is how it created a unique culture from the diverse people who populated the city. New Orleans got its defining characteristics — a sense of hospitality, its food, its music — from enslaved and formerly enslaved people, Native Americans, and immigrants from France, Spain, the Caribbean, and Italy.

There’s a lot to see and do, but if we’re being honest, the real draws are food and music — and the annual street party that brings them together: Mardi Gras.

In this episode, we dig into a little bit of history and a whole lot of music and food, including the magic of jambalaya and the difference between cajun and creole. We also tell you how to find the best parades during Mardi Gras and get real about a haunted house.

Then we recommend great books that took us there on the page:

The Axeman’s Jazz by Ray Celestin

https://bit.ly/3Jt5uAE

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings

https://bit.ly/3wJOYVy

Turkey and the Wolf: Flavor Trippin’ in New Orleans by Mason Hereford, JJ Goode

https://bit.ly/3kYvDNs

Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum

https://amzn.to/3JpVb0b

The Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael Zapata

https://bit.ly/3XS5Bu6

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2023–02–20-new_orleans

Transcript: https://strongsenseofplace.com/transcriptions/46_new_orleans_transcript

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace

You can always find us at:

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LoLT: The Story of a Special Map & Two New Books

17 februari 2023 | 8 min

LoLT: Hudson River Rail Excursions & Two New Books

10 februari 2023 | 10 min

Spain: Valencia, Velázquez, and Vermouth

6 februari 2023 | 59 min

In this episode, we get all dreamy-eyed about everything that makes Spain a fantastic place to visit. We get curious about a unique but frequently overlooked statue on the streets of Madrid and nerd out on Spain's distinctive languages (and cuisine and art). Then we recommend great books that took us there on the page:

Spain is a loving assault on all your senses. It's big, it's bold, it's colorful — and yet. It's also intimately beautiful and ripe for quiet, perfect moments.

Snuggled onto the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Spain is not just one thing. It's the imposing Pyrenees in the north and the sunny, lazy beaches of the coasts. It's the spiky Gothic architecture of Barcelona and the intricate design of a Moorish cathedral in Córdoba. The classics hung on the walls of the Prado in Madrid and the playfulness of Dalí's home in sun-dappled Cadaqués. You can marvel at Gaudi's nature-inspired architecture in La Sagrada Familia or sit peacefully in a sun-dappled square in Seville. A little exploration yields big surprises and rewards.

But wherever you go, there are a few things on which you can rely: an enthusiasm for the good life, friendly people, and ridiculously delicious things to eat and drink. There's seafood fresh from the coastal waters and patatas bravas, crisp and hot from the fryer. Perhaps you'll start your day with a rich cup of hot chocolate (hello, churros!) or dig into a potato-and-egg tortilla any time. You can sip spicy-sweet vermouth in a bar with friends and get romantic over a smooth glass of Andalusian wine. Or raise of glass of cava — and stamp your feet with flamenco rhythms — in celebration of simply being alive.

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2023-02-06-spain

Transcript: http://strongsenseofplace.com/transcriptions/45_spain_transcript

Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace

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

LoLT: The Currywurst Story & Two New Books

3 februari 2023 | 8 min

SSoP Podcast Mini-Episode — Season 5: Announcing 12 Exciting Destinations

30 januari 2023 | 5 min

LoLT: Bad High School Analogies & Two New Books

27 januari 2023 | 8 min

LoLT: The Spectacle of 'RRR' & Two New Books

20 januari 2023 | 6 min

LoLT: Realm Podcasts & Two New Books

13 januari 2023 | 10 min

LoLT: The Extraordinary Attorney Woo & Two Books

6 januari 2023 | 8 min

LoLT: New Year's Eve Poems & New Books

30 december 2022 | 11 min

LoLT: The Big Read Book Club & New Books

16 december 2022 | 11 min

LoLT: Best Books of 2022 & New Books

9 december 2022 | 9 min

LoLT: Betty Crocker's Cooky Book & New Books

2 december 2022 | 11 min

LoLT: German Fairy Tale Route & New Books

25 november 2022 | 9 min

A Mini-Episode to Wish You A Cozy and Happy Thanksgiving

21 november 2022 | 26 min

LoLT: Fun Boardgames & New Books

18 november 2022 | 11 min

LoLT: Bookish Advice from Dear Dorothea & New Books

11 november 2022 | 11 min

LoLT: Notes from Three Pines Newsletter & New Books

4 november 2022 | 10 min

LoLT: A Helpful Movie Website & New Books

28 oktober 2022 | 10 min

LoLT: Nun Cookies in Spain & New Books

21 oktober 2022 | 11 min

LoLT: The Island Walk on PEI & New Books

14 oktober 2022 | 8 min

LoLT: San Marino & New Books

7 oktober 2022 | 11 min

LoLT: Rebecca The Musical & New Books

30 september 2022 | 13 min

Italy: A Bottle of Red, the Tuscan Sun, and Il Dolce Far Niente

26 september 2022 | 68 min

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:

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

LoLT: Hugo Award Winners & New Books

23 september 2022 | 10 min

LoLT: Traveling with Sleep Stories & New Books

16 september 2022 | 13 min

Secret Passages: Down the Rabbit Hole

12 september 2022 | 68 min

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:

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

LoLT: Beautiful Street Art by NeSpoon & New Books

9 september 2022 | 10 min

LoLT: Newfoundland Screech & New Books

2 september 2022 | 10 min

Atlantic Canada: For There Blow Some Cold Nor’westers on the Banks of Newfoundland

29 augusti 2022 | 64 min

LoLT: Shetland Series and New Books

26 augusti 2022 | 12 min

Turkey: It’s Turkish Delight on a Moonlit Night

15 augusti 2022 | 65 min

LoLT: Tell Us How We’re Doing!

5 augusti 2022 | 3 min

LoLT: The Most Remote Island in the World & New Books

5 augusti 2022 | 5 min

Hawaii: Bring a Bottle of Gin for Pele

1 augusti 2022 | 63 min

LoLT: The Real ’Dirty Dancing’ Hotel (?) & New Books

29 juli 2022 | 6 min

Museums: A Gathering of Muses, A Clutch of Curators

18 juli 2022 | 68 min

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:

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

LoLT: Postcards from Timbuktu & New Books

15 juli 2022 | 5 min

LoLT: Pop-Up Book Art & New Books

8 juli 2022 | 5 min

South Africa: Nelson Mandela, the Big Five, and Sweet Melktert

4 juli 2022 | 60 min

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:

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

LoLT: Butler County Donut Trail & New Books

1 juli 2022 | 5 min

LoLT: Typewriter Rodeo & New Books

24 juni 2022 | 5 min

Appalachia: Buttermilk Biscuits, Bluegrass, and a Big Blue Moon

20 juni 2022 | 51 min

LoLT: Midnight Sun Marathon in Norway & New Books

17 juni 2022 | 5 min

LoLT: Maurice Sendak’s Birthday & New Books

10 juni 2022 | 5 min

Tasmania: The Heart-Shaped Island at the Edge of the World

6 juni 2022 | 58 min

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:

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

LoLT: Azerbaijani Food & New Books

3 juni 2022 | 5 min

LoLT: Golden Gate Bridge Opening Day & New Books

27 maj 2022 | 5 min

Hotels: The Liminal Space with M&Ms in the Mini-Bar

23 maj 2022 | 59 min

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:

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

LoLT: A Floating Taco Bar in the Caribbean & New Books

13 maj 2022 | 5 min

Thailand: Come for the Food, Stay for the Spiritual Enlightenment

9 maj 2022 | 54 min

LoLT: ’INterSECTS’ Exhibit at the New York Public Library & New Books

6 maj 2022 | 5 min

LoLT: Whimsical Acorn People & New Books

29 april 2022 | 5 min

Iceland: Warrior Poets, Emo Horses, and Maybe (Probably) Elves

25 april 2022 | 62 min

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:

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

LoLT: The Enduring Art of Handpainted Signs & New Books

22 april 2022 | 5 min

LoLT: Edward Gorey’s Eerily Cute Art & New Books

15 april 2022 | 5 min

LoLT: Dali Dinner Party & New Books

8 april 2022 | 5 min

SSoP Podcast Mini-Episode — Season 4: Announcing 12 Amazing Destinations

8 april 2022 | 7 min

Ep 32 — Greece: Gyros, Heroes, Philosophy, and Phyllo

20 december 2021 | 58 min

Ep 31 — The Forest: Meet a Witch, Climb a Tree

29 november 2021 | 55 min

Ep 30 — Egypt: Ancient Antiquities, Fiery Djinn, and the Lure of the Nile

8 november 2021 | 60 min

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:

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

Ep 29 — Afghanistan: Poppies, Tribalism, and the Taliban

25 oktober 2021 | 59 min

Ep 28 — Arctic: Otherwordly Beauty That Might Kill You

25 oktober 2021 | 61 min

Ep 27 — Newsroom: From Clacking Typewriters to Viral Video

7 september 2021 | 61 min

Ep 26 — Costa Rica: Cloud Forests, Coffee, and Capuchin Monkeys

16 augusti 2021 | 57 min

SSoP Podcast Mini-Episode — Dave's Emergency Surgery

26 juli 2021 | 37 min

SSoP Podcast Mini-Episode — What happened to Season 3?

26 juli 2021 | 4 min

Ep 25 — Hollywood: Gumption, Glamour, Heartbreak, and Hubris

10 maj 2021 | 62 min

Our 2021 'Ask Us Anything' Episode

12 april 2021 | 48 min

A Special Mini-Episode About Our 2021 Audience Survey

8 mars 2021 | 5 min

Ep 24 - Ireland: It's Not Good, It's Grand

8 februari 2021 | 55 min

Ep 23 - Pennsylvania: Political Player, Potato Chip Maker

25 januari 2021 | 60 min

One year anniversary mini-episode!

22 januari 2021 | 13 min

Ep 22 — Vietnam: Divided by War, Bonded by Family

11 januari 2021 | 60 min

A Mini-Episode to Wish You Holiday Cheer and a Happy New Year

21 december 2020 | 12 min

Ep 21 — Trains: Better than Planes and Cars. Fight Me.

14 december 2020 | 65 min

Ep 20 — Peru: Andes Adventures, Fusion Food, and Piles of Gold

30 november 2020 | 57 min

Ep 19 — Nigeria: Jollof Rice, Nigerian Pidgin, and So Much Hustle

16 november 2020 | 59 min

Ep 18 — Iran: Revolution, Poetry, Storytelling, and Spices

2 november 2020 | 63 min

Ep 17 — Halloween: Costumed Revelry, Voices From Beyond, and YAY, Candy!

19 oktober 2020 | 65 min

Ep 16 — New Zealand: Kiwis, Majestic Scenery, and Māori Mythology

5 oktober 2020 | 53 min

Ep 15 — The Library: Endless Books, Reading Nooks, and Lots of Possibility

21 september 2020 | 71 min

Ep 14 — Alaska: Fresh-Caught Salmon, Cake Mix, and So Many Bears

7 september 2020 | 60 min

Ep 13 — Paris: It's Always a Good Idea

24 augusti 2020 | 52 min

A Special Mini-Episode: Questions from Our Audience

20 juli 2020 | 28 min

A Special Mini-Episode: Survey Results and What We’re Reading Right Now

6 juli 2020 | 21 min

A Special Mini-Episode About Our Audience Survey

22 maj 2020 | 3 min

Ep 12 — The Circus: Found Family and Daring Feats

11 maj 2020 | 65 min

Ep 11 — Cuba: Castro, Conga, Cars, and Cigars

27 april 2020 | 57 min

A Message from Self-Isolation in Prague

20 april 2020 | 14 min

Ep 10 — Sweden: So Happy, So Murdery

13 april 2020 | 60 min

Ep 09 — Chicago: Baseball, Hot Dogs, Industry, and Infamy

30 mars 2020 | 67 min

Ep 08 — Russia: Revolution, Hope, and Vodka

16 mars 2020 | 47 min

Ep 07 — Morocco: Couscous, Camels, and the Kasbah

2 mars 2020 | 72 min

Ep 06 — The Sea: Tales of Poets and Pirates

17 februari 2020 | 78 min

Ep 05 — Scotland: Wraiths, Rebels, and Royalty

3 februari 2020 | 73 min

Ep 04 — Mexico: Folklore and Beachy Paradise

23 januari 2020 | 40 min

Ep 03 — Japan: Family Honor and Super-Cute Stuff

22 januari 2020 | 64 min

Ep 02 — Restaurants: Hot Stoves and Steamy Relationships

21 januari 2020 | 46 min

Ep 01 — Prague: Castles and Cobblestones

20 januari 2020 | 57 min

ep 0: Introducing Strong Sense of Place!

10 januari 2020 | 2 min

Strong Sense of Place

One lifetime is too short to visit everywhere and meet everyone.

Om podden

Avsnitt

Replay: A Mini-Episode With Answers to Questions from Our Audience

LoLT: The Witches of Scotland Tartan and Two New Books

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LoLT: The Skellig Coast Dark Sky Festival and Two New Books

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LoLT: The Joy of Lying on the Floor and Two New Books

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LoLT: The ‘Order Up’ Word Game and Two New Books

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LoLT: Tips for Memorable Travel and Two New Books

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LoLT: The Best Croissant in Paris and Two New Books

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LoLT: A Special Poem for Valentine’s Day and Two New Books

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LoLT: Grammy-Nominated Audiobook and Two Great Books

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LoLT: Tips for Reading Long Novels and Two Great Books

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Mel’s Favorite Doorstopper Novels

Join Us for an IRL Manor House Weekend in Wales!

LoLT: Graphic Novels for Newbies and Two Great Books

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LoLT: Dave’s Board Game Recs and Two New Books

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Home for the Holidays [ repost ]

LoLT: Adorable Cozy Games and Three New Books

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LoLT: Sandwich Designer of the Year and Two New Books

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Seattle: City of Superlatives

Hello! Please take our end-of-the-season survey at http://strongsenseofplace.com/survey! We'd love to hear from you.

LoLT: An Absinthe Caper and Two New Books

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Cemetery: Celebrate Life, Honor the Dead.

LoLT: Accidentally Wes Anderson and Two New Books

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Brazil: Sugarloaf, Samba, and Sao Paulo

LoLT: History Extra Halloween Podcasts and Two New Books

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Saudi Arabia: Old Ways and New Directions (?)

LoLT: World’s Best Art Detective and Two New Books

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Detective Agency: Discrete Inquiries, Mysteries Solved

LoLT: Delightful Walking Tours and Two New Books

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Panama: Jump Back, What’s That Sound?

LoLT: Morgan Richter Recommends Batman and Two New Books

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Norway: Vikings, Bears, Boats, and Bergen

LoLT: Postcard Pen Pals and Two New Books

Paris: It’s Always a Good Idea

LoLT: The Lost Tomb of Genghis Khan and Two New Books

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Mongolia: Under the Eternal Blue Sky

LoLT: The ‘Pack One Bag’ Podcast and Two New Books

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Outer Space: We Are All Made of Stars

LoLT: Three Great Stories About India and Two New Books

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India: The Continent Masquerading as a Country

LoLT: Immersive Storytelling with the Chaos League and Two New Books

New York City: NO! SLEEP! TILL BROOKLYN!

LoLT: A Neat Trick For Managing Your Library and Two New Books

France: Mostly Here for the Butter

Our Top 10 Books from the First Five Seasons of Strong Sense of Place

The 2024 ‘Ask Us Anything’ Episode: In Which We Answer Audience Questions

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SSoP Podcast Season 6: Announcing 12 Fascinating Destinations

LoLT: The Magic of Music Discovery and Two New Books

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LoLT: Amy Tector’s Poetry Habit and Two New Books

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LoLT: The Currywurst Story & Two New Books (replay)

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LoLT: Inspiring Brontë Stories and Two New Books