Richmond Park, Shelfie Appeal, Manor-ly Murder, Andalusia, Mindful Art & More: Endnotes 15 April

Every Friday, we celebrate the weekend — and all the reading and relaxing and daydreaming time ahead — with Melissa's favorite book- and travel-related links of the week. Why work when you can read fun stuff?!

This post is part of our Endnotes series.

‘The Way’ gates can be found in Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The park is now a nature reserve but was created in the 17th century by Charles I as a deer park, a.k.a., a status symbol and aristocratic playground for hunting. (When Charles lost his head for treason, the park was handed over to the City of London.) The gates, designed by blacksmith-artist Joshua De Lisle, were added to the park in 2011 for the 300th anniversary of St. Paul’s Cathedral, which can be seen from the park. The words ‘the way’ are an epitaph to ecologist and author Edward Goldsmith and his seminal book about taking an ecological world view.

• Some of my favorite people are ‘dysfunctional’ heroines. I’m looking at you, Jane Eyre and Helen Graham.

• 100-percent yes to this impassioned case for reading literature. ‘I’m convinced that you do not read a novel or poem in remotely the same way you read math or physics or economics — or even history or philosophy. It will sound loopy, but I believe we read literature to become other. After all, reading, say, Sophocles or the Brontës or Kafka or Morrison entails “inhabiting” — for the duration of the reading experience — those characters’ minds and hearts. No other field asks or even permits you to do this.’

• Lots of fun — and new titles for your TBR — can be found in getting to know people via their shelfies.

• Obviously, there was no way I could resist this: The Enduring Appeal of the Country House Murder

• A book inscription can deepen our connection to the contents of books themselves. ‘My parents gave me the gifts of life and literature. Delving into the books from them might also, I thought, offer a means of communing with them once again.’

• The Ashmolean Museum has a very cool online program for viewing art mindfully. Each 16-minute video begins with a 9-minute mindfulness exercise, then proceeds to an in-depth look at a work of art with a curator.

• Very exciting: The novel The Governesses (which I loved) is being adapted to the screen.

• This is delightful:

• I loved this fantastic and eerie short story on Twitter.

• Do you want to run a post office and count penguins in Antarctica?

• This crafty project looks fun and manageable, which is the best combination.

• Jeff Deutsch’s new book In Praise of Good Bookstores pays tribute to ‘one of our most important and endangered civic institutions.’ Over at Large-Hearted Boy, he contributed a charming playlist to go along with his book.

• The Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist includes tips that made me literally LOL. Example: ‘12 months out: Hire wedding planner. Order alchemical supplies for transmuting base metals into gold.’

• And this is joyous:

• For your listening pleasure: This episode of the BBC Bookclub devoted to A Gentleman in Moscow is 27 minutes of joy. And this edition of the Earbuds Podcast Collective shares five podcast episodes about the amazing non-book things that libraries do. #librariesforever (Did you know that podcast listeners were found to be more curious and less neurotic?!)

• Carbtastic! The best bread in every state, according to Food & Wine. (And can I interest you in the Indiana Cheese Trail to go with that bread?)

• Sort of related: The best movies set in every state, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

• News you can use: The free Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide is coming on 23 May.

• Oooh, shiny. The rise of bioluminescent tourism.

• Yes, please, I would like to go to Spain now. Thank you.

The Library of Lost Time

Hooray! Here’s our second installment of The Library of Lost Time, a weekly video and podcast that makes procrastination a virtue. In each mini-episode — 5 minutes or less! — we share two new book releases that are at the top of our TBR. Then we delve into a book- or travel-related curiosity that’s worth your time. Get all the episodes and books galore here.

In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon and Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li. Then we discuss the gleefully macabre writing and art of Edward Gorey.

Books

• The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon
• Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

Distraction of the Week

• Enjoy this reading of Edward Gorey’s Gashlycrumb Tinies — and then get your hands on the book.
• Edward Gorey’s New England residence has been turned into a fantastic and fantastical museum. Take a video tour.
• Dance the tango with the iconic opening credits of PBS Mystery!, drawn by Edward Gorey.
• Write a letter to show your support for an Edward Gorey stamp. It’s easy and fun!

May you discover something that delights you immensely.

Top image courtesy of Keith Hardy/Unsplash.