blog

Notes on books and travel.

Charlotte Brontë, Bookshop.org, Mauritania Libraries, Mirror Writing & More: Endnotes 21 April
Charlotte Brontë, Bookshop.org, Mauritania Libraries, Mirror Writing & More: Endnotes 21 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got 10 books set in Berlin, bright Catalan art, the return of Dracula Daily, California's superbloom, destination pizza, and more.
SSoP Podcast Episode 50 — Lebanon: Surrender to the Call of the Mijwiz
SSoP Podcast Episode 50 — Lebanon: Surrender to the Call of the Mijwiz
Yes, Lebanon has a troubled past and tricky present. But there's so much to recommend this tiny Mediterranean country: idyllic beaches, fragrant cedar forests, slinky music, and some of the world's tastiest food.
Spring Tulips, Booker List, Romcom Essays, Travel Movies & More: Endnotes 14 April
Spring Tulips, Booker List, Romcom Essays, Travel Movies & More: Endnotes 14 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got the legacy of Juliet Capulet, 19th-century silhouette art, Istanbul spy movies, literary lunch, Belgium itinerary, and more.
Visit Sri Lanka with the Poem 'Timely Enumerations Concerning Sri Lanka'
Visit Sri Lanka with the Poem 'Timely Enumerations Concerning Sri Lanka'
Oliver Rice's poem tells the bittersweet story of Sri Lanka, contrasting the island's lush natural beauty and peaceful Buddhist practices with its history of invasive colonialism, civil war, and vicious politics.
Easter Peeps, Poetry Month, Arctic Train, D&D, Retro Swears & More: Endnotes 07 April
Easter Peeps, Poetry Month, Arctic Train, D&D, Retro Swears & More: Endnotes 07 April
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got a roundup of memorable meals, new Edward Gorey exhibit, Q&A with Kelly Link, Syrian red tape, Prague book sculpture, and more.
SSoP Podcast Episode 49 — Sri Lanka: Remarkable, Relentless, Resplendent
SSoP Podcast Episode 49 — Sri Lanka: Remarkable, Relentless, Resplendent
If Sri Lanka makes you all daydreamy about frolicking on the beach at sunset, possibly with friendly elephants, you would not be wrong. It's also the ideal place to take an epic train ride or dig into street food.
Zanzibar, New Gatsby, Bilingual Writing, Antarctica  & More: Endnotes 31 March
Zanzibar, New Gatsby, Bilingual Writing, Antarctica & More: Endnotes 31 March
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got the best books adaptations, Czech pastries, a beautiful ghost ship, food in Roald Dahl books, Édouard Manet, and more.
Wander Among the Bookshelves in the Poem 'The Bookshop' by Dick Allen
Wander Among the Bookshelves in the Poem 'The Bookshop' by Dick Allen
Sometimes the real-life characters that populate a bookshop are as compelling as the fictional ones found in books stacked on the shop shelves. This poem stars a bookseller we would love to meet IRL or in a novel.
Hollywood's Cinerama, Tofu Magic, Mystery Novels, Em-Dash & More: Endnotes 24 March
Hollywood's Cinerama, Tofu Magic, Mystery Novels, Em-Dash & More: Endnotes 24 March
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got Chris Pine's literary recs, a romcom essay, applying to writing residencies, street art, a chat with Tillie Walden, and more.
SSoP Podcast Episode 48 — Bookshops: Mostly Paper and Magic
SSoP Podcast Episode 48 — Bookshops: Mostly Paper and Magic
What's better than a charming indie bookshop with a cozy café next door? A bookshop with a café right inside. Or a café that sells a few carefully curated books. We love bookshops and cafés, is what we're saying.
Great Read-Aloud Stories to Celebrate World Storytelling Day
Great Read-Aloud Stories to Celebrate World Storytelling Day
Reading to yourself is great — and sharing a story aloud is a fun way to connect with other people and to share the emotional ride of a tale well-told. It's a solid idea any day, but on 20 March, it's even better.
Truffles, Lost Lit Gems, World Sandwiches, Booker Prize & More: Endnotes 17 March
Truffles, Lost Lit Gems, World Sandwiches, Booker Prize & More: Endnotes 17 March
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got retro NYC travel tips, Tillie Walden's new graphic novel, the joy of rereading, Swiss design hotels, Victorian lit, and more.
Of Beauty and Freedom: The Law Concerning Mermaids by Kei Miller
Of Beauty and Freedom: The Law Concerning Mermaids by Kei Miller
By conjuring images of a mermaid — a beautiful, graceful, free mermaid — this prose poem by Jamaican writer Kei Miller speaks eloquently of the damage caused by imperial rule to colonized people, lands, and seas.
SSoP Podcast Episode 47 — Jamaica: Let's Get Together and Feel All Right
SSoP Podcast Episode 47 — Jamaica: Let's Get Together and Feel All Right
There's so much to recommend a trip to Jamaica. Where else to eat some callaloo, sip smooth Blue Mountain coffee, walk in the footsteps of pirates, sing with the rebels of reggae, and splash in the warm Caribbean?
Schilthorn, Tiny Books, Moomins, Writing Police Reports & More: Endnotes 03 March
Schilthorn, Tiny Books, Moomins, Writing Police Reports & More: Endnotes 03 March
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got dreaming in a foreign language, novels that take place in one day, the Paris catacombs, travel as a time machine, and more.
Over-the-Top Taste of New Orleans: The Bologna Sandwich From 'Turkey and the Wolf'
Over-the-Top Taste of New Orleans: The Bologna Sandwich From 'Turkey and the Wolf'
Forget everything you know about piling meat between slices of bread. New Orleans has a thing or two to teach you about making a sandwich — and some of the tastiest sandwiches are coming out of Turkey and the Wolf.
Seville Oranges, Emily Brontë, Walled Cities, Prose Poetry & More: Endnotes 24 February
Seville Oranges, Emily Brontë, Walled Cities, Prose Poetry & More: Endnotes 24 February
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got a book club with Andrew Sean Greer, a HarperCollins explainer, Edward Hopper's art at NYC's Whitney, tea science, and more.
Slow Down with the Lyrical Poem 'Going Home: New Orleans' by Sheryl St. Germain
Slow Down with the Lyrical Poem 'Going Home: New Orleans' by Sheryl St. Germain
This poem by Sheryl St. Germain will transport you to a quiet New Orleans, a languorous city where you can rest your bones on a porch swing, listen to the night sounds, and relish details that make it feel like home.
SSoP Podcast Episode 46 — New Orleans: Pass a Good Time
SSoP Podcast Episode 46 — New Orleans: Pass a Good Time
It's said there are good times and good stories. New Orleans promises both. From the everyday magic of beignets and jazz and voodoo to the once-a-year razzle-dazzle of Mardi Gras, The Big Easy is a serious party.
Eismeer Station, Reading Strategy, Trieste, Rom-Com Novels & More: Endnotes 17 February
Eismeer Station, Reading Strategy, Trieste, Rom-Com Novels & More: Endnotes 17 February
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got cities with distinct smells, revisiting 'The Remains of the Day,' Gudrid the Far-Traveled, Iceland's baby puffins, and more.
Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla De Patatas) Inspired by 'When I Sing, Mountains Dance'
Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla De Patatas) Inspired by 'When I Sing, Mountains Dance'
It may look like a simple omelet or a frittata, but the tortilla de patatas is something special. Slinky with olive oil and tender to the bite, it might be Spain's most iconic dish. And you can make it at home.
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.