Strong Sense of Place | Travel Through Books

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/3cLkQm3The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow https://bit.ly/3AGfsJ7Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman https://bit.ly/3Ry21liUnderground by Will Hunt https://bit.ly/3CQjyB5The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley https://bit.ly/3TG18ZRFor 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-passagesDo you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'these are the words' by Nikita Gill and 'Daisy Darker' by Alice Feeney. Then Dave explains the delightful tradition of newcomers to Newfoundland being ScreechedIn. BOOKS these are the words by Nikita Gill https://amzn.to/3q2wY5f Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney https://bit.ly/3Q64Etd DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK  The Library of Lost Time https://bit.ly/3PIqMd8 Newfoundland Screech on Wikipedia https://bit.ly/3wO9SmO On Atlas Obscura https://bit.ly/3R9n3qB Two excellent videos https://youtu.be/-bEPBx4E1aY https://youtu.be/3cI4vSqbMLE Video of Conan O'Brian getting screeched by Natasha Henstridge https://youtu.be/d3bD7427Nqc Our podcast episode about Atlantic Canada https://bit.ly/3CPgwwN Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3cHjfxS The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Close your eyes and imagine it: Craggy coastlines with the rumble of crashing surf, sand dunes shaped by the wind off the Atlantic, maybe a lonely lighthouse, and lots of green. The air is bracing, carrying the scent of pine and the sea.Atlantic Canada comprises four provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador, plus the three Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, also known as PEI.Lumped together for convenience, each province has its own quirks and charm. You might visit the colorful fishing villages in Nova Scotia or go kayaking in the Bay of Fundy. If Anne Shirley tops your list of best literary heroines, you'll definitely want to make a pilgrimage to PEI. And for Viking lore and teeth-rattling wind — plus puffins, iceberg sightings, and the northern lights — Newfoundland is the place to be.Wherever you land, you're enveloped in the fathomless blue of the sky and sea. It's a dramatic landscape with hardy people and a long history of compelling stories.In this episode, we talk about the lure of buried treasure, pick up a bit of Newfoundland slang, plan a getaway to a posh island hotel, and discuss practically sentient weather. Then we recommend five great books that took us to Atlantic Canada on the page:Crow by Amy Spurway https://bit.ly/3QBrD0rGalore by Michael Crummy https://bit.ly/3PtOrhhMy Darling Detective by Howard Norman https://bit.ly/3waEWNoThe Boat Who Wouldn't Float by Farley Mowat https://bit.ly/3pr2Y2UThe Shipping News by Annie Proulx https://bit.ly/3wd40mRAs always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Portrait of an Unknown Woman' by Daniel Silva and 'A Dreadful Splendor' by B.R. Myers. Then Mel explains why she's smitten with Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez and the Shetland TV series, based on the books by Ann Cleeves. BOOKS Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva https://bit.ly/3PCaF0I A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers https://bit.ly/3CuX6gN DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK The Library of Lost Time https://bit.ly/3PIqMd8 Raven Black by Ann Cleeves https://bit.ly/3wqCSRj Interview with Ann Cleeves https://bit.ly/3pEs0LW Shetland: An Epic Landscape with a Viking Soul https://bit.ly/3Cq55M3 Video: Ann Cleeves' Shetland  https://youtu.be/AAInlBT32w8 'Shetland' on Amazon Prime https://amzn.to/3Kb59AS Transcript of this episode https://bit.ly/3PIqMd8 The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perched where East meets West, Turkey was once a stopover on the Silk Road, connecting the cultures of Europe and the Balkans to exotic Eastern locales. That explains why its history has as many layers as a piece of baklava.The invaders are a greatest hits list of big names: the Greeks, the Byzantine Empire, the Fourth Crusade, and the Ottoman Empire (and its Janissaries). Then WWI and the birth of a new nation: The Republic of Turkey, with westward-gazing Atatürk at the helm.Now, this stunningly beautiful country is a dreamy holiday destination. There are beaches on the Black, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas to immerse you in soothing waters. Enjoy colorful Turkish cuisine with strong tea and coffee to fuel your adventures. Listen to slinky, rhythmic folk music, have a soak at a hammam (Turkish bath), and meet friendly locals with a charming predilection for chit-chat.For centuries, travelers have been enchanted by the Istanbul skyline and the romantic Bosphorous Strait. But don't sleep on sights outside that fabled city, like the hot air balloons and otherworldly terrain of Cappadocia, the ancient ruins of the Library of Pergamum, and Gaziantep with the sweet scent of baklava bakeries floating in the air.In this episode, we romp through the Byzantine Empire, get gossipy about the Turkish language, and celebrate sweet words of devotion. Then we recommend five books that took us to Turkey on the page: Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Özge Samancı The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin  My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, Erda M. Göknar (translator) Black Amber by Phyllis A. Whitney As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this very short episode, we get curious about what you think about The Library of Lost Time. We'd like to know how to make a better podcast for you. More book reviews? More Distraction of the Week? Should Mel and Dave just talk about cakes and cats? Let us know! We currently have a survey at: https://strongsenseofplace.com/survey It would mean the world to us if you could drop by and tell us how we're doing. It'll take about three minutes, and it'll help shape that podcast immediately. Thank you so much for your help!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Kismet' by Amina Akhtar and 'Alias Emma' by Ava Glass. Then we think about running away to Tristan da Cunha, the world's most remote inhabited island. BOOKS Kismet by Amina Akhtar https://bit.ly/3Bh1fUW Alias Emma by Ava Glass https://bit.ly/3RZ2TQT DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Tristan da Cunha website https://bit.ly/3OuvKtj Atlas Obscura on Tristan da Cunha https://bit.ly/3or3mh8 Slate on Tristan da Cunha https://bit.ly/3b22wEq Wikipedia https://bit.ly/3S1PAiq Video: Life on Tristan da Cunha https://youtu.be/n4ElF8awm90 Video: A Day on Tristan da Cunha https://youtu.be/kgKYV5hplvM The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With palm trees galore, more than 100 beaches (plus more than 100 volcanoes!), Hawaii's islands are a playground in paradise. But there's a lot more to love about the 50th state than its splash-worthy waters and lush hiking trails.Settled by sea-faring Polynesians in the 4th century, the islands meld the cultures of native Hawaiians, American mainlanders, and Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Chinese immigrants. All of which is shorthand for 'fascinating people, delicious food, and irresistible music.'A visit to Hawaii pretty much requires you to swim and paddle around in the Pacific. You can also trek on volcanoes, stroll through the rainforest, learn to surf, meet the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle (honu) and the Hawaiian Monk Seal (llio holo I ka uaua), dance the hula, and pay tribute to the mighty Pele, goddess of fire.In this episode, we marvel at the Polynesian settlers, learn about a forbidden island, sway to Hawaiian music, and enjoy a virtual luau on the beach. Then we recommend five books that transported us to Hawaii.Here are the books we discuss in the show: Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell Micro by Michael Crichton & Richard Preston The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey This is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila As always, you can follow us at: Our web site at Strong Sense of Place Patreon Twitter  Instagram Facebook YouTube   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Half Life of Valery K' by Natasha Pulley and 'The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir' by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Then we go retro with 'Welcome to Kutsher's,' a documentary about the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills.  BOOKS The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley https://bit.ly/3PxuR4L The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir by Ingrid Rojas Contreras https://bit.ly/3z199Po DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK Welcome to Kutsher's https://bit.ly/3RWfR1M Watch the documentary online https://amzn.to/3J5La6d ABC News report on Kutsher's https://abcn.ws/3z6cOeX The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices