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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got the best hangouts in Chicago, streaming shows from UK National Theater, a short story from Andrew Sean Greer, and more.
