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Notes on books and travel.

Pumpkin-Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Inspired by the Novel 'Small Spaces'
Pumpkin-Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Inspired by the Novel 'Small Spaces'
Roasted pumpkin seeds are a rite of passage at Halloween time, and this recipe elevates the seasonal standard to something truly spectacular. The perfect crunchy go-along to this delightfully creepy horror novel.
TripFiction Recommends Books Set in Vienna, Bangkok, Jaipur, Berlin, Florence & More
TripFiction Recommends Books Set in Vienna, Bangkok, Jaipur, Berlin, Florence & More
Tina Hartas founded TripFiction because she knows, as we do, that reading books set in far-flung locales is a lovely way to armchair travel and prep for real-world adventure. Here are her top picks for great books.
6 Short Story Collections That Are Appropriately Eerie for Halloween
6 Short Story Collections That Are Appropriately Eerie for Halloween
These brilliant short story collections are brimming with delightfully eerie tales of ghosts, goblins, demons, witches, vampires, and the other dark things that come to visit us in the nightmare deep of the night.
Père Lachaise, the Real Manderley, Mary Shelley, Postcard Art & More: Endnotes 23 October
Père Lachaise, the Real Manderley, Mary Shelley, Postcard Art & More: Endnotes 23 October
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got writing books by hand, authors' fave destinations, room service love, the art of translation, free horror audiobooks, and more.
Travel to Styria and Be Seduced by the Perilously Alluring 'Carmilla'
Travel to Styria and Be Seduced by the Perilously Alluring 'Carmilla'
Oh, Carmilla! She's beautiful and slinky and, perhaps, not as innocent as she seems. Which makes this vampire story a suspenseful, atmospheric romp through dark bedrooms, chilly drawing rooms, and misty mountains.
Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling Inspired by 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'
Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling Inspired by 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'
In addition to social-climbing tendencies, scarecrow-like appearance, and ability to annoy the dead and undead, Ichabod Crane is also known for gluttony. With a sweet-and-spicy cake like this, who can blame him?!
Speak to the Spirit World with 'Haunted Houses' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Speak to the Spirit World with 'Haunted Houses' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The poet's atmospheric poem blurs the divide between memories and haunting. He casts the 'harmless phantoms' — who glide by our sides and sit at our fires — as silent visitors, forging our connection to the beyond.
SSoP Podcast Ep. 17 — Halloween: Costumed Revelry, Voices From Beyond, and YAY, Candy!
SSoP Podcast Ep. 17 — Halloween: Costumed Revelry, Voices From Beyond, and YAY, Candy!
In this episode, we revel in that delicious tingle up the back of the neck, courtesy of the undead, that reminds us we're alive. Plus, candy, bonfires, costumes, and books. SO MANY BOOKS that celebrate Halloween.
Hindu Holymen, Dark Academia, Storytelling Fests, Secret Language & More: Endnotes 16 October
Hindu Holymen, Dark Academia, Storytelling Fests, Secret Language & More: Endnotes 16 October
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got bad bunnies of medieval art, spooky reads, retro water-skiing witches, a forest jukebox, a secret language for crooks, and more.
Watch Your Back and Suspect Everyone in Agatha Christie's Shocking 'Crooked House'
Watch Your Back and Suspect Everyone in Agatha Christie's Shocking 'Crooked House'
If a rich older man is murdered, his much younger, very curvaceous, and maybe promiscuous wife must be guilty. Right? Not so fast! Agatha Christie makes everyone a likely suspect and keeps you guessing 'til the end.
New Zealand Fairy Bread Inspired by 'The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep'
New Zealand Fairy Bread Inspired by 'The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep'
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is a suspenseful fantasy novel set in Wellington. What better way to take a snack break than with the NZ treat called Fairy Bread?! Like the novel, it's sweet and a bit surprising.
Break Out the Bubbly: It's the 1-Year Anniversary of Strong Sense of Place
Break Out the Bubbly: It's the 1-Year Anniversary of Strong Sense of Place
Whew! What a year it's been! We launched the Strong Sense of Place website with a combination of enthusiasm, determination, high hopes, and — if we're honest — a little bit of trepidation. Thank you for joining us!
11 Cool Facts You Need to Know about Ngaio Marsh, the Kiwi 'Queen of Crime'
11 Cool Facts You Need to Know about Ngaio Marsh, the Kiwi 'Queen of Crime'
She wrote crime novels with well-drawn characters, sharp prose, and twisty plots — plus put her own spin on 'Hamlet,' drove an ambulance during WWI, and was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
16 Instagrammers That Showcase the Stunning Nature & Māori Culture of New Zealand
16 Instagrammers That Showcase the Stunning Nature & Māori Culture of New Zealand
Craggy mountains, bold blue water, irresistible wildlife, Māori mythology, and super-cute kiwi birds: The stunning images in these must-follow Instagram accounts showcase what makes New Zealand a magical place.
Belize Manatees, Book Dress, Baklava Butler, Evil Books & More: Endnotes 09 October
Belize Manatees, Book Dress, Baklava Butler, Evil Books & More: Endnotes 09 October
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got Wuthering Heights quote or song lyric, a new online book club, virtual tours of Lobkowicz Palace, words for thieves, and more.
Trip the Light Fantastic in the Snazzy Jazz Age with the Comics in 'Flapper Queens'
Trip the Light Fantastic in the Snazzy Jazz Age with the Comics in 'Flapper Queens'
If you've ever daydreamed about dancing the night away to hot jazz in a speakeasy, this is the book for you. Packed with vibrant full-page comics from barrier-busting women cartoonists, it's a time machine to the '20s.
Beef-and-Cheddar Pie Inspired by 'Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All'
Beef-and-Cheddar Pie Inspired by 'Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All'
What's not to love about a pie that fits in your hand, is golden and flaky, and is filled with a savory meat-and-cheese filling that will power you through your day and make you as happy as a Kiwi in New Zealand?!
SSoP Podcast Episode 16 — New Zealand: Kiwis, Majestic Scenery, and Māori Mythology
SSoP Podcast Episode 16 — New Zealand: Kiwis, Majestic Scenery, and Māori Mythology
New Zealand is an enchanting blend of colonial and Māori culture set against the prettiest green-and-blue backdrop of mountains and sea you could imagine. It's a place for exploration, all good vibes, and meat pies.
Cave Castle, Reading Treehouse, Iceland Writers Retreat, Book Hangovers & More: Endnotes 02 October
Cave Castle, Reading Treehouse, Iceland Writers Retreat, Book Hangovers & More: Endnotes 02 October
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got a Norway's answer to hygge, the NYTimes list demystified, an eerie/beautiful art installation, horror fiction podcast, and more.
It's a Rip-Roaring Sea Adventure with a Lady Pirate in 'Cinnamon and Gunpowder'
It's a Rip-Roaring Sea Adventure with a Lady Pirate in 'Cinnamon and Gunpowder'
You might not expect a story of kidnap and pirates to put tears in your eyes and wings on your heart. But you've likely never met pirates like Mad Hannah Mabot and her sometimes surly and surprisingly sensitive crew.
Going Behind the Scenes at the Beautiful Strahov Monastery Library in Prague
Going Behind the Scenes at the Beautiful Strahov Monastery Library in Prague
Gilded bookshelves, antique globes, allegorical ceiling frescoes, thousands of books, church ruins, trompe l'oeil — we took it all in on a tour of the Strahov Monastery Library and the Břevnov Monastery in Prague.
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