St. George Fest, Regency Lingo, Book Scents, Goths in Lit & More: Endnotes 22 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 fantastical facade above is Casa Batlló, a building in Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudi. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a new tour delves into its history and Gaudi’s inspiration. But we’re here to talk about the roses. In this photo, Casa Batlló is bedecked in blossoms in honor of the Festival of Sant Jordi. Every 23 April, couples exchange roses and books in celebration of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia (a region in northeastern Spain with its own linguistic and cultural identity). Get the full story on the Festival of Sant Jordi. (Special thanks to Strong Sense of Place supporter Isabel for telling us about this sweet holiday.)

• The situation in Ukraine isn’t dominating the headlines anymore, but the Ukrainian people still need our help. World Central Kitchen, the non-profit founded by chef José Andrés, has been working in Ukraine and surrounding countries to serve hot food to refugees at the borders and inside the war-torn country. Last Saturday, one of its restaurants in Kharkiv was destroyed by a missile strike. You can donate to support WCK’s efforts here.

• A Prague-based poetry social network is collecting poems about Ukraine and sharing them free online. They’re also posting them on Prague’s Lennon Wall.

• ‘Just what the deuce do they mean with all their gadzooks and apoplexies, their barouches and barking irons?’ A Guide to Regency Lingo.

• This essay about the organization of books of quotations is a nerdy delight. (Sorta related: How Dictionaries Define Us. ‘Dictionaries aren’t mere catalogs of words; they are snapshots of the culture — the time and place — that produced them.’

• Treat yourself to this beautiful, whimsical handmade mechanical whale.

• For book lovers, the smell of books can be irresistible. But just what is that smell? ‘Peter, a pensioner, said he experienced books as smelling of salt and pepper – that dryness when you open the cupboard… with a touch of the sea, while 46-year-old Donna confessed that she had recently bought a book for her young son partly because it smelled of the rain.’

• Radio Lento is my new favorite soundtrack for writing and reading. Each episode of the show captures different sounds in nature.

• The Kugelhaus was a ball-shaped house developed as a creative solution to the problem of overcrowding in urban centers.

• Persepolis is a book we love. Wake Now In The Fire — an upcoming graphic novel by Jarrett Dapier and AJ Dungo — tells the story of Chicago high school students who rose up against the censors that banned Persepolis from their school system.

• Who can resist a ‘magical, rentable cabin’ known as The Nook? It has a tea loft!

• News you can use: How to Host a 1950s Brunch.

• The story of the real Miss Havisham.

• Related: The Greatest Goths in Literary History.

• This video is equal parts informative and soothing: Making a yurt in Kyrgyzstan.

• Editor Judith Jones was Julia Child’s creative partner on the cookbook masterpiece Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The new nonfiction book Warming Up Julia Child: The Remarkable Figures Who Shaped a Legend by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz is a behind-the-scenes look at Julia’s Child’s collaborators. LitHub shares an excerpt that shares Judith Jones’ notes on Julia’s manuscript. It’s a fascinating look at how the mind of a brilliant editor works.

• ‘[N]othing has intrigued me, made me desperately desire a taste, and driven me to distraction like peanut butter fruit.’

• A Brontë expert shows how the works of Sir Walter Scott inspired Wuthering Heights.

• These are two of my favorite things to eat: the history of the Greek salad in the US and who invented the ploughman’s lunch.

The Library of Lost Time

In each 5-minute episode, 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: True Biz by Sara Nović and Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor. Then we discuss the fantastic artists devoted to preserving and enhancing the 150-year-old tradition of handpainted signs.

Books

• True Biz by Sara Nović
• Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

Distraction of the Week

• Watch the documentary Sign Painters online at Vimeo for free.
• Follow Sign Painters on Instagram for images of charming handpainted signs.
• Get your hands on the book Sign Painters by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon.
• Enjoy more photos from sign painters in the UK, Mexico City, New Orleans, and more.

May all signs point you to good things.

Top image courtesy of Semisatch/Shutterstock.