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Notes on books and travel.

Golden Bridge, Quitting Books, World Cuisine, Dolls in Horror & More: Endnotes 22 October
Golden Bridge, Quitting Books, World Cuisine, Dolls in Horror & More: Endnotes 22 October
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got authors leaving Goodreads, flight attendant advice, realistic PIs in fiction, the beauty of Albania, Austen objects, and more.
Time Travel to Victorian London and Flirt with Seductive Danger in 'The Quick'
Time Travel to Victorian London and Flirt with Seductive Danger in 'The Quick'
Get lost in the pages of this novel. You'll hear footsteps behind you on the cobblestones while a chill mist seeps under the door. Victorian London comes to life in a plot that's filled with secrets and surprises.
Shepherd's Breakfast Bake Inspired by the Gothic Classic 'Frankenstein'
Shepherd's Breakfast Bake Inspired by the Gothic Classic 'Frankenstein'
Poor Frankenstein! (The 'monster,' not the doctor.) The poor creature deserves kindness and a hot breakfast to start the day. Like this savory bread pudding from 'A Gothic Cookbook.' It's monstrously delicious.
7 Dark Academia Novels to Get You Read(y) for a Perfectly Eerie Halloween
7 Dark Academia Novels to Get You Read(y) for a Perfectly Eerie Halloween
Writer Elizabeth Held has great taste in books. Her newsletter 'What To Read If' is a welcome arrival in our email each week. In this post, she recommends novels that combine boarding school with creepy happenings.
8 Great Books Set in New Zealand That We Love
8 Great Books Set in New Zealand That We Love
If you feel like you need a big adventure, New Zealand is a pretty fantastic place to get started. There are volcanoes and fjords, mountains and meadows, Māori mythology and gold rush history. And fairy bread.
Louvre Ghost, Niche Bookshops, Creepy Castles, Upbeat Vocab & More: Endnotes 15 October
Louvre Ghost, Niche Bookshops, Creepy Castles, Upbeat Vocab & More: Endnotes 15 October
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got Scotland on film, 11 romantic suspense novels, Wes Anderson's train car, presidential libraries, an ode to orcas, and more.
Mysterious Locked Doors and Ghostly Apparitions in the Scottish Highlands of 'Pine'
Mysterious Locked Doors and Ghostly Apparitions in the Scottish Highlands of 'Pine'
Ghost stories are a combination of melancholy and euphoria, vividly contrasting the joy of being alive with the grief and permanence of loss. The best ones, like 'Pine,' deliver genuine emotion along with the scares.
40+ Halloween Reads That Will Transport You to Scarytown This Spooky Season
40+ Halloween Reads That Will Transport You to Scarytown This Spooky Season
The only thing better than a full-size Snickers in your trick-or-treat bag is a perfectly moody, unputdownable Halloween read. We've got you covered with books, short stories, audiobooks, recipes, our pod, and more.
Yosemite, Haunted Spots, Illustrated Novels, Regency Romance & More: Endnotes 08 October
Yosemite, Haunted Spots, Illustrated Novels, Regency Romance & More: Endnotes 08 October
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got food artifacts in the NYPL collection, scary Shirley Jackson facts, live otter cam, postcard collecting mysteries, and more.
Take a Stroll Through the Spookier Side of Edinburgh in 'City of Ghosts'
Take a Stroll Through the Spookier Side of Edinburgh in 'City of Ghosts'
Edinburgh, Scotland, offers so many atmospheric sights: the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, Mary King's Close, Greyfriars Kirkyard, and lots of cobbled alleys. This fun ghost story will transport you to all of them.
Arctic Cranberry Cake with Warm Butter Sauce Inspired by Polar Bears and Sunsets
Arctic Cranberry Cake with Warm Butter Sauce Inspired by Polar Bears and Sunsets
This post has everything good: Arctic adventure, polar bears, Arctic hares, tundra-inspired cuisine, and comfy accommodations. We encourage you to browse the stunning photos and bake this cake as soon as possible.
8 Great Books Set in the Arctic That We Love
8 Great Books Set in the Arctic That We Love
The Arctic is otherworldly. An expanse of sea, snow, icebergs, and majestic wildlife that's as likely to kill someone as beguile them. Add human ego, foibles, and dreams to the mix, you've got stories for the ages.
12 Amazing Instagram Accounts That Will Transport You to the Deadly Beautiful Arctic
12 Amazing Instagram Accounts That Will Transport You to the Deadly Beautiful Arctic
Looking at photos of the Arctic has us wishing (at least a little) that we could chuck our everyday lives to stow away aboard a research vessel cutting through the sea ice. Polar bears! Northern lights! Salty stories!
Big Ben, Book Cover Trends, Fat Bear Week, Domestic Gothic & More: Endnotes 01 October
Big Ben, Book Cover Trends, Fat Bear Week, Domestic Gothic & More: Endnotes 01 October
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got Green Apple Books, hotels of the world, the allure of tiny books, ebooks vs. print, the history of animal prints, and more.
Libraries, Archives, and Diaries... Oh, My. Fall is the Ideal Time For 'The Historian'
Libraries, Archives, and Diaries... Oh, My. Fall is the Ideal Time For 'The Historian'
This might very well be the ideal book to read in the fall. It's made for shorter days, eerie twilights, crunchy leaves, and a nip in the air — a thrilling tour of Eastern Europe, libraries, history, and legend.
SSoP Podcast Episode 28 — Arctic: Otherworldly Beauty That Might Kill You
SSoP Podcast Episode 28 — Arctic: Otherworldly Beauty That Might Kill You
The Arctic has fascinated humans for centuries. For the right kind of person, its ethereal beauty and challenging climate are irresistible. For others, it's the polar bears and puffins. Bundle up, we're heading north.
Myanmar, Board Game History, Peruvian Cuisine, Art for Readers & More: Endnotes 24 September
Myanmar, Board Game History, Peruvian Cuisine, Art for Readers & More: Endnotes 24 September
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got the beach in winter, vampire and Gothic novels, chocolate bars inspired by classic lit, Goodreads vs. Storygraph, and more.
Fall is the Perfect Time for the Dark Academia of 'Special Topics in Calamity Physics'
Fall is the Perfect Time for the Dark Academia of 'Special Topics in Calamity Physics'
Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History' may be the OG pick for fans of dark academia. But we're partial to this one. Marisha Pessl gives us a slippery heroine, indeed, in Blue van Meer, and the syllabus conceit? Genius.
The International Musical Marvel That is the Finnish Ievan Polkka
The International Musical Marvel That is the Finnish Ievan Polkka
Like the heroine of the traditional Finnish folk song Eva's Polka, when the fiddle is wailing, and the joint is jumping, you gotta dance all night long. Join us for a deep dive into this irresistibly catchy tune.
Kilchurn Castle, Godfather Sandwich, Jane Eyre, Kiwi Slang & More: Endnotes 17 September
Kilchurn Castle, Godfather Sandwich, Jane Eyre, Kiwi Slang & More: Endnotes 17 September
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got cafés around the globe, Met Gala gowns and books, crossing the Atlantic on the QE2, book shortages(?), food writing, and more.
Food, Family, and Forgiveness in Nigeria with 'Butter Honey Pig Bread'
Food, Family, and Forgiveness in Nigeria with 'Butter Honey Pig Bread'
As you might guess from the title, food — homemade Nigerian food — is as central to this story as the characters and the setting. There's magic and love, turmoil and triumph, salty conversation and sweet forgiveness.
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