blog

Notes on books and travel.

Strawberry Season, Sicily, Sci-Fi Romance, Bridgerton Sets & More: Endnotes 17 May
Strawberry Season, Sicily, Sci-Fi Romance, Bridgerton Sets & More: Endnotes 17 May
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got Hilary Mantel tshirts, Jane Eyre: The Musical, books in translation, tips for learning languages, a Holbein exhibit, and more.
Our Top 10 Books from the First Five Seasons of Strong Sense of Place
Our Top 10 Books from the First Five Seasons of Strong Sense of Place
It was a tough assignment to rank our favorite books when they're all loved equally. But archives were scanned, memories were searched, podcasts were reviewed, and tough decisions were made. Here are our top 10s.
The 2024 'Ask Us Anything' Episode: In Which We Answer Audience Questions
The 2024 'Ask Us Anything' Episode: In Which We Answer Audience Questions
We invited you to ask us anything, and you delivered. In this special episode, we answer questions about the literary theme parks we would design, our recording booth, and whether or not Dave is really 6-foot-five.
Prada Marfa, Reading Aloud, Pop Culture Cookbooks, Krakow Milk Bars & More: Endnotes 10 May
Prada Marfa, Reading Aloud, Pop Culture Cookbooks, Krakow Milk Bars & More: Endnotes 10 May
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got books shelved by emotion, the new Accidentally Wes Anderson exhibit, 8 great campus novels, Jane Austen House Museum, and more.
SSoP Podcast Season 6: Announcing 12 Fascinating Destinations
SSoP Podcast Season 6: Announcing 12 Fascinating Destinations
Season Six of our podcast starts 24 May! We're delighted to share the 12 destinations we'll explore together. From France to India, Panama to Seattle, and thrilling spots in between. Make room for a new TBR stack!
Seattle Piers, Banned Books, Extreme Airports, Hollywood Stories & More: Endnotes 03 May
Seattle Piers, Banned Books, Extreme Airports, Hollywood Stories & More: Endnotes 03 May
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got epic Hollywood reads, a new comic from the author of Gender Queer, crime novels with a strong sense of place, idioms, and more.
La Scarzuola, P&T Knitwear, Ditching Books, Naturalist Notebooks & More: Endnotes 26 April
La Scarzuola, P&T Knitwear, Ditching Books, Naturalist Notebooks & More: Endnotes 26 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got the story of Chicago club Mister Kelly's, 14 underwater hotels, 30 best romances, Austen characters as detectives, and more.
Thun Castle, Spring Books, Chandeliers, Poet Ada Limón, Dresden & More: Endnotes 19 April
Thun Castle, Spring Books, Chandeliers, Poet Ada Limón, Dresden & More: Endnotes 19 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got 7 places like the Grand Budapest Hotel, the number of bubbles in champagne, a Palestinian poem, a new Brontë play, and more.
Saigon Street Food, Marginalia, Layover Trips, Beatrix Potter & More: Endnotes 12 April
Saigon Street Food, Marginalia, Layover Trips, Beatrix Potter & More: Endnotes 12 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got 100 years of A Passage to India, an 80-year-long reading journal, colorful bakery wrappers, Prague defenestration, and more.
Brick Lane, A Rosy Poem, Cooky vs Cookie, Portland Maine & More: Endnotes 05 April
Brick Lane, A Rosy Poem, Cooky vs Cookie, Portland Maine & More: Endnotes 05 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got legendary cookbook editor Judith Jones, a must-read graphic memoir, Detroit's new cultural center, shoes on planes, and more.
Swimming Pigs, Macbeth, Turkish Potatoes, Sensory Reading & More: Endnotes 29 March
Swimming Pigs, Macbeth, Turkish Potatoes, Sensory Reading & More: Endnotes 29 March
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got film-making lingo, 7 mid-west towns with modern architecture, the Dublin Book Festival, a handy bingo card how-to, and more.
Château de Chambord, Haluski, Country House Stories, Booker Prize & More: Endnotes 22 March
Château de Chambord, Haluski, Country House Stories, Booker Prize & More: Endnotes 22 March
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got patriarchy-smashing literary characters, a Ted Lasso book, India's modernist churches, the two types of novelists, and more.
22 Poems From Around the World to Celebrate World Poetry Day
22 Poems From Around the World to Celebrate World Poetry Day
Every March 21 is World Poetry Day, an occasion to celebrate the poets who capture our human experience with joy, sorrow, humor, and the perfect words, one after the other. Read a poem to your favorite person today!
Afternoon Tea, Drive-In Theaters, Women Authors, Murdery Gardens & More: Endnotes 15 March
Afternoon Tea, Drive-In Theaters, Women Authors, Murdery Gardens & More: Endnotes 15 March
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got breakfasts from around the world, a look at The Remains of the Day, an interview with Tana French, a bookish painting, and more.
Big Sur, Poor Things, Barrister Wigs, Daily Art, Modern Gothic & More: Endnotes 08 March
Big Sur, Poor Things, Barrister Wigs, Daily Art, Modern Gothic & More: Endnotes 08 March
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got a literary guide to the Oscars, vintage signs from Madrid, 12 animal-shaped buildings, a musical Wuthering Heights, and more.
5 Great Books Set in Sri Lanka That We Love
5 Great Books Set in Sri Lanka That We Love
And now, a brief list of reasons to visit Sri Lanka: elephants, idyllic beaches, crispy fried fritters and spicy curries, mountaintop monasteries, iconic train rides through the jungle, whale watching, and Ceylon tea.
Italian Foxes, Poison Pen Letters, Author Fighters, Poem Joy & More: Endnotes 01 March
Italian Foxes, Poison Pen Letters, Author Fighters, Poem Joy & More: Endnotes 01 March
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got the first detectives, a historic hotel on the French Riviera, trying to learn Czech, cozy fiction, Palestinian food, and more.
Positano, Bookstore Chairs, Ahab's Peg Leg, Chicago's Ramen Lord & More: Endnotes 23 February
Positano, Bookstore Chairs, Ahab's Peg Leg, Chicago's Ramen Lord & More: Endnotes 23 February
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got books at the edge of the world, artistic hummus, a deep dive into a Manet painting, the return of edgy EC Comics, and more.
5 Great Books Set in New Orleans That We Love
5 Great Books Set in New Orleans That We Love
Take a virtual trip to New Orleans with a voodoo zombie fantasy, an over-the-top cookbook, an exploration of Katrina's impact on nine lives, a historical murder mystery, and a gorgeous family saga woven with sci-fi.
Llandwyn Island, Darwin's Library, Sriracha Wars, Literary Fashion & More: Endnotes 16 February
Llandwyn Island, Darwin's Library, Sriracha Wars, Literary Fashion & More: Endnotes 16 February
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got Rosa Parks' peanut butter pancakes, glass igloos in Greenland, temples carved out of rock, bejeweled book covers, and more.
Pula, Hugo Awards, UNESCO Cities of Lit, Barbie History, Luxe Hotels & More: Endnotes 09 February
Pula, Hugo Awards, UNESCO Cities of Lit, Barbie History, Luxe Hotels & More: Endnotes 09 February
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got a sneak peek at TV's A Gentleman in Moscow, aphrodisiacs from around the world, colorful cities, a tricksy word quiz, and more.
our mission

Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.

our patreon

Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.

get our newsletter

Join our Substack to get our FREE newsletter with podcast updates and behind-the-scenes info — and join in fun chats about books and travel with other lovely readers.

no spoilers. ever.

We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.

super-cool reading fun
reading atlas

This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.

get our newsletter
Sign up for our free Substack!
follow us

Content on this site is ©2024 by Smudge Publishing, unless otherwise noted. Peace be with you, person who reads the small type.