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Notes on books and travel.

Dramatic Translations, Night Trains, Spring Flowers, Pretty Bookshelves & More: Endnotes 08 May
Dramatic Translations, Night Trains, Spring Flowers, Pretty Bookshelves & More: Endnotes 08 May
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got online literary festivals, your best road trip, re-reading favorite books, witch trial transcripts, charming bookmobiles & more.
Salem is Bewitching and Beguiling in 'The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane'
Salem is Bewitching and Beguiling in 'The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane'
Who could possibly resist the allure of secret family history, a crumbling mansion, a hidden 17th-century book, and an antique key?! Certainly not our heroine Connie Goodwin, which makes for a great story, indeed.
Author A.J. Devlin Recommends Eight Action-Packed Books with a Strong Sense of Place
Author A.J. Devlin Recommends Eight Action-Packed Books with a Strong Sense of Place
Buckle up for armchair travel that delivers plenty of suspense. These books will take you from Vancouver, Canada to the world of pro wrestling, sunny (and sinister) Los Angeles, NYC, East Texas, and more.
Sourdough Library, Jane & Rochester as Dogs, Bunnyhenge & More: Endnotes 01 May
Sourdough Library, Jane & Rochester as Dogs, Bunnyhenge & More: Endnotes 01 May
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got cycling in Transylvania, IKEA meatball recipe, short story recommendations, the Grand Canal in Venice, anti-censorship & more.
Sneak Into Tel Aviv, Vienna, London, Paris, and More With Super-Spy Gabriel Allon
Sneak Into Tel Aviv, Vienna, London, Paris, and More With Super-Spy Gabriel Allon
Let's go jet-setting around the world this weekend (from the safety of our couches, obvs). Yes, it's potentially dangerous, but when you're hanging out with the world's best assassin, excitement is to be expected.
Cuban Picadillo with Plantains Inspired by Leonardo Padura's Novel 'Havana Fever'
Cuban Picadillo with Plantains Inspired by Leonardo Padura's Novel 'Havana Fever'
This picadillo recipe is homey, earthy, a little bit exotic, and tastes even better when it's shared with the people you love. Fire up the stove, crank the timba music, pour a cuba libre, and dance in your kitchen.
SSoP Podcast Episode 11 — Cuba: Castro, Conga, Cars, and Cigars
SSoP Podcast Episode 11 — Cuba: Castro, Conga, Cars, and Cigars
Cuba has a tough history, but the island itself is welcoming, a candy-colored dreamscape of pastel buildings, lush greenery, sparkling beaches, and friendly people — plus rum cocktails and dancing in the streets.
Tea Around the World, Edward Gorey's Lists, Mrs. Dalloway & More: Endnotes 24 April
Tea Around the World, Edward Gorey's Lists, Mrs. Dalloway & More: Endnotes 24 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got moving comic set in Iceland, virtual tours of ancient Egyptian tombs, bookish confessions, UNESCO World Heritage sites & more.
Travel to Victorian Yorkshire and Meet the Remarkable Heroine of 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'
Travel to Victorian Yorkshire and Meet the Remarkable Heroine of 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'
This weekend, travel back in time in Yorkshire and meet Helen Graham, a surprisingly independent woman who finds herself stuck in the social mores of the Victorian age — until she forges her own path to happiness.
The Delightful (and Delicious) Swedish Coffee Break Called Fika
The Delightful (and Delicious) Swedish Coffee Break Called Fika
Fika is the leisurely consumption of carbs and caffeine that's a standard part of every day in Sweden. More than a coffee break, it's a pause to connect with people, recharge, and appreciate the good things in life.
Visiting the Codex Gigas (Devil's Bible) at the National Library of Sweden
Visiting the Codex Gigas (Devil's Bible) at the National Library of Sweden
A sinful but repentant monk, an assist from the devil, an 800-year-old book, potential madness, and a rivalry between Bohemia and Sweden. This story of the Codex Gigas, also known as The Devil's Bible, has everything.
6 Great Books Set in Sweden That We Love
6 Great Books Set in Sweden That We Love
Gotta love a place that embraces contrasts — and Sweden is all about it: the warm snuggly vibe of a Swedish Christmas or afternoon fika (coffee and cake) — and the magnificent, twisty murder mysteries of Scandi noir.
SSoP Podcast: A Message from Coronavirus Self-Isolation in Prague
SSoP Podcast: A Message from Coronavirus Self-Isolation in Prague
It's a hard time to be an empathetic human right now. From us to you: hope and love and peace. In this brief episode, we talk about life in Prague with social distancing rules and send you safe-as-pie air hugs.
6 Literary Role Models to Help Us Endure Quarantine With Grace and Humor
6 Literary Role Models to Help Us Endure Quarantine With Grace and Humor
With most of us home 24/7 with a variety of real-life characters, now is an excellent time to turn to fictional friends. They're entertaining, inspiring, and very human. Basically, the perfect quarantine companions.⁠
A Literary Quiz, Drama in Pilsen, Keukenhof Garden, Library Love & More: Endnotes 17 April
A Literary Quiz, Drama in Pilsen, Keukenhof Garden, Library Love & More: Endnotes 17 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got stunning trains, fantasy fiction needlework, your IKEA name, a perfect cartoon about libraries, Pieter Bruegel's art & more.
Adventure in WWII Yugoslavia with Detective Bernie Gunther in 'The Lady from Zagreb'
Adventure in WWII Yugoslavia with Detective Bernie Gunther in 'The Lady from Zagreb'
This weekend, travel back to the 1940s with Bernie Gunther, a good detective and good man in bad circumstances. You'll visit Yugoslavia, go toe-to-toe with Joseph Goebbels, fall in love — and oh! solve a murder.
Swedish Meatballs Inspired by Mikael Niemi's Novel 'Popular Music from Vittula'
Swedish Meatballs Inspired by Mikael Niemi's Novel 'Popular Music from Vittula'
How about a delicious meal to go with your immersive reads?! This is just the recipe to give you a taste of Sweden. It's comforting with luscious contrasts between hot, cool, tart, sweet, and savory in every bite.
SSoP Podcast Episode 10 — Sweden: So Happy, So Murdery
SSoP Podcast Episode 10 — Sweden: So Happy, So Murdery
Sweden is one of the happiest places on Earth. It gave us ABBA, IKEA, and some of the darkest crime fiction on the bookshelves. In this ep, we discuss all of that and share five great books that transported us there.
Secrets of the NYPL, a Jane Austen Musical, Istanbul Cats & More: Endnotes 10 April
Secrets of the NYPL, a Jane Austen Musical, Istanbul Cats & More: Endnotes 10 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got Weeki Wachee mermaids, cozy British villages, the Save Our Bookstores app, Irish Gothic novels, the cats of Istanbul & more.
It's Music, Mystery, and Murder at an Isolated Hotel in 'Bellweather Rhapsody'
It's Music, Mystery, and Murder at an Isolated Hotel in 'Bellweather Rhapsody'
An isolated hotel. A brutal snowstorm. A mysterious death. And a high school music festival?! This novel has everything! It's a thrill ride, and we love when an author bends our favorite literary tropes to her will.
We're Delighted to Announce That We're Now Supporting Bookshop.org
We're Delighted to Announce That We're Now Supporting Bookshop.org
Bookshop.org is a new online book retailer that shares its revenue with local, independent bookstores. It's bridging the significant gap between online sales and the neighborhood bookshop (you love) down the street.
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