

Strong Sense of Place | Travel Through Books
Melissa & Dave
One lifetime is too short to visit everywhere and meet everyone. That‘s why we love books with a strong sense of place — they let us travel the world in our imagination. In each episode of our Strong Sense of Place podcast, we explore one destination and talk about what makes that place different from everywhere else. Then we recommend five books that took us to that place on the page. Every other week, we share The Library of Lost Time, a mini-pod that features two new books and our Distraction of the Week. We‘re on a trip around the globe, one great read at a time. Please join us!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 3, 2022 • 5min
LoLT: Azerbaijani Food & New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Hide' by Kiersten White and 'Born to Be Hanged' by Keith Thomson. Then we discuss the very soothing, compelling cooking videos on the Country Life Vlog.
BOOKS
Hide by Kiersten White
https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593359235
Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune by Keith Thomson
https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780316703611
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Watch and follow the Country Life Vlog on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIix6MklfJFywa_36iDj8Sw/featured
Meet Aziza and her family
https://blog.solostove.com/the-common-flame-country-life-in-azerbaijan/
The video for cold Okroshka Soup.
https://youtu.be/W7fvudJvDlo
And a full recipe for the soup, in case you want to make it yourself.
https://natashaskitchen.com/okroshka-recipe-russian-summer-soup/
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Patreon
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Facebook
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May 27, 2022 • 5min
LoLT: Golden Gate Bridge Opening Day & New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Trust' by Hernan Diaz and 'How to Be Eaten' by Maria Adelmann. Then we get nostalgic for the Opening Day on the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937.
BOOKS
Trust by Hernan Diaz
https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593420317
How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann
https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780316450843
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Treat yourself to the Official Program for the Golden Gate Bridge Fiesta - https://www.goldengate.org/assets/1/6/officialprogram.pdf
Read more about the Fiesta - https://www.goldengate.org/bridge/history-research/bridge-construction/opening-fiesta-week/
Enjoy this video of the opening from British Pathé - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_sm0OHQKrg
Or this video from British Movietone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQFNVLZEFrU
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Patreon
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 23, 2022 • 59min
Hotels: The Liminal Space with M&Ms in the Mini-Bar
Room service. An oversized bed seemingly made of clouds. Breathtaking views through wall-sized windows. Zippy elevators. Friendly, efficient bellhops. And three magical words: Gourmet breakfast included. These are the things of which a first-rate hotel stay is made.The idea of a place to lay your head while away from home has been around for millennia: When the Greeks and Romans developed thermal baths, they also built accommodations for visitors to spend the night after a recuperating soak. What we would recognize as an inn became common in Europe during the Middle Ages. Rustic but homey, they provided lodging, food, and stables for horses. Fast forward to the industrialists of the 19th century, and boom! now we've got grand hotels designed to cater to guests' every whim. Laundry service? Of course. Space for entertaining? Naturally. And oh, free soap!In this episode, we take a quick romp through hotel history and imagine what it might have been like to visit a luxurious hotel during its 20th-century heyday. Then we discuss so many books that transported us to hotels on the page. There are haunted rooms and murderous mischief, people falling in love and settling scores, history-making events and intimate drama, plus plenty of opulent furnishings and white-glove service.Here are five of the books we recommend on the show — there are a bunch more in show notes:
A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
The Plaza: The Secret Life of America's Most Famous Hotel by Julie Satow
Estoril by Dejan Tiago-Stanković
The Hitman's Daughter by Carolyne Topdjian
The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elissa Friedland
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-05-23-hotelsDo you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Patreon
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 13, 2022 • 5min
LoLT: A Floating Taco Bar in the Caribbean & New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker and Book of Night by Holly Black. Then we are charmed by three short words: floating taco bar.
BOOKS
- The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780358251873
- Book of Night by Holly Black - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781250812193
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Visit the website for Lime Out, the floating taco bar - https://www.limeoutvi.com
Follow Lime Out on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/limeoutvi/
Read an article about it in 'Travel+Leisure' - https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/floating-taco-bar-st-john-us-virgin-islands-caribbean
Read an article about it in 'St. John Magazine' - https://stjohnmagazine.com/lime-out-vi-st-john-floating-bar
This video will have you packing your bags and booking a flight before you can say, 'extra guac, please.' - https://youtu.be/RpEjOIuI69k
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Patreon
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 9, 2022 • 54min
Thailand: Come for the Food, Stay for the Spiritual Enlightenment
Located in Southeast Asia, Thailand is 100-percent situated in the tropics. It's hot and humid and, sometimes, there's torrential rain. The capital city of Bangkok is a cacophony of color and humanity: traffic jams, food markets, flocks of monks in saffron-colored robes, temple spires, and gaudy neon. And all of that only enhances its appeal.Thailand is blessed with otherwordly beauty. From the hills and forests in the north to the terraced rice fields in the central plains, it seems to embody every imaginable shade of green. But hit the coasts, and the colors explode into other rainbow colors: fuchsia flowers, aquamarine waters, red-brown rock formations, and blindingly-white sand beaches.That vibrancy is reflected in the food (colorful, spicy), the people (friendly, Buddhist), the wildlife (diverse, majestic), and all the activities they invite you to try: hiking, cooking, snorkeling, splashing, eating, drinking, living.In this episode, we discuss how a trip to Thailand will engage all your senses, learn about a jewelry heist for the ages, talk about a giant Buddha, and daydream about Bangkok. We also recommend five great books that transported us there on the page:- The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha - Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright - Thai Street Food by David Thompson - Bangkok 8 by John Burdett - Jasmine Nights by S.P. SomtowFor more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-05-09-thailandDo you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
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Facebook
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 6, 2022 • 5min
LoLT: ’INterSECTS’ Exhibit at the New York Public Library & New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: Siren Queen by Nghi Vo and Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story in Music Lessons" by Jeremy Denk. Then we talk about an exhibit at the New York Public Library featuring art from a new graphic novel.
BOOKS
Siren Queen by Nghi Vo - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781250788832
Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story in Music Lessons - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780812995985
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Watch a quick video about the INterSECTS exhibit -https://twitter.com/nypl/status/1513951186075979776
Get more info on the New York Public Library website - https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/intersects
Take the excellent online audio tour of the exhibit - https://www.nypl.org/events/tours/audio-guides/intersects/item/6050
Download the free coloring sheets. One of them shows butterflies in the Rose Reading Room! - https://legacynyplorg-live.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/intersects_-_peter_kuper_coloring_pages.pdf
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Patreon
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Instagram
Facebook
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 29, 2022 • 5min
LoLT: Whimsical Acorn People & New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Woman, Eating' by Claire Kohda and 'How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from the Moth.' Then we are thoroughly charmed by artist David Bird's whimsical figurines and photos.
BOOKS
Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780063140882
How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from the Moth - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593139004
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Watch David Bird's process and hear the stories behind his Becorns at his [official website - https://www.davidmbird.com
Follow David Bird on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidmbird
See what happened when a squirrel decided to enjoy a Becorn as an afternoon snack - https://youtu.be/LfQhurh7wuk).
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Patreon
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 25, 2022 • 1h 2min
Iceland: Warrior Poets, Emo Horses, and Maybe (Probably) Elves
With all those dramatic volcanoes and glaciers, Iceland has become known as the Land of Fire and Ice. But we like to think of it as the Land of Legends and Poetry, a place to go adventuring with your extrovert pals, then curl up with a great book and a cozy sweater for some epic introverting.Literature is baked into Icelandic culture, starting with the Sagas and carrying through medieval warrior poets to today: The capital city of Reykjavík is a designated UNESCO City of Literature and home to both the Iceland Writers Retreat and the Iceland Noir Festival.When you're ready to explore the island, start in the capital for fancy cocktails, the vibrant food scene, and friendly locals. Then hit the road — the Ring Road — to circumnavigate the island and see fantastical sites along the way: volcanoes and lava fields, waterfalls and glaciers, puffins and horses with emo bangs, the black church and dramatic sea cliffs — plus northern lights, turquoise-colored hot springs, a troll or two, and wee elf houses.In this episode, we dig into the charming idiosyncrasies of the Icelandic language, get real about Vikings, and celebrate powerful Icelandic women. We also recommend five great books that transported us there on the page:
The Island by Ragnar Jónasson
How Iceland Changed the World by Egill Bjarnason
The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea
The Almost Nearly Perfect People by Michael Booth
The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-04-25-icelandDo you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Patreon
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 22, 2022 • 5min
LoLT: The Enduring Art of Handpainted Signs & New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'True Biz' by Sara Nović and 'Hotel Magnifique' by Emily J. Taylor. Then we discuss the fantastic artists devoted to preserving and enhancing the 150-year-old tradition of handpainted signs.
BOOKS
True Biz by Sara Nović - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593241509 Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593404515
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Watch the documentary 'Sign Painters' online at Vimeo for free - http://www.signpaintersfilm.com
Follow Sign Painters on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sign_painters
Get your hands on the book 'Sign Painters' by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781616890834
More photos and stories about sign painters around the world:
The UK - https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2015/jan/14/revival-handpainted-sign-high-streets-in-pictures
Mexico City - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-11/the-art-of-painting-signs-in-mexico-city
New Orleans - https://gonola.com/features/local-lens/the-city-spoke-through-hand-painted-signs
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Patreon
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 15, 2022 • 5min
LoLT: Edward Gorey’s Eerily Cute Art & New Books
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Patron Saint of Second Chances' by Christine Simon and 'Portrait of a Thief' by Grace D. Li. Then we discuss the gleefully macabre writing and art of Edward Gorey.
BOOKS
The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781982188771
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593184738
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
A video reading of Edward Gorey's 'Gashlycrumb Tinies' - https://youtu.be/PIPvzfQbioc
Edward Gorey's New England residence has been turned into a fantastic and fantastical museum. Take a video tour - https://youtu.be/fSiImfSD258
The iconic opening credits of PBS Mystery! - https://youtu.be/tPlY_7RR1h0
Write a letter to show your support for an Edward Gorey stamp - https://edwardgorey.org/2022/02/22/edward-gorey-centennial-postage-stamp-campaign/
The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com
Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace
As always, you can follow us at:
Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
Patreon
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices