Cannes, Perfect Chocolate, Library Weddings, Emotion Words & More: Endnotes 13 May

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.

That near-perfect marriage of tile roofs and shoreline above is Cannes Bay in France, location for the annual Cannes Film Festival. The event’s early history played out like a movie: The first festival was planned for 1939, in opposition to the Venice Film Festival, which had ‘become a vehicle for Fascist and Nazi propaganda.’ A casino in Cannes agreed to host, and among the films to be screened was The Wizard of Oz. But on the day the festival was meant to begin, Hitler invaded Poland. The celebration of movie magic was delayed until after the war, finally debuting in 1946. This year, the Cannes Film Festival takes place from 17-28 May, and if you love films, movie stars, and red carpet shenanigans, it’s the place to be. Fun fact: The red carpet is about 2km long and is changed three times a day. (Here are more things you probably don’t know about the Cannes Film Festival.) If you want to relive fashion triumphs and disasters of the past, the Cannes archive of Go Fug Yourself is an excellent place to start — and here are this year’s 18 most anticipated films.

• This is very exciting news: Maureen Johnson is the author of the ‘Truly Devious’ series starring teenage sleuth Stevie Bell; I loved the stand-alone installment The Box in the Woods. Her next book is Nine Liars and takes on the tropes of a country house murder mystery. Read an excerpt.

• Have Scientists Designed the Perfect Chocolate? Obviously, you want to know the answer to that question. You probably also want to see the phrase ‘music of mastication’ in context.

• The BBC explains why we feel so connected to books. ‘It’s a little bit like meditation. When you’re reading or listening to a book you put aside your current day-to-day concerns and take on the concerns of a character, usually a protagonist. So, you experience emotions, but they’re your own emotions in that situation.’

• Yes, please, I would very much like to try secret cookies baked by nuns in Spain.

• The marriage of plants and buildings makes for stunning — and environmentally friendly — facades.

• I’m very excited to read Truth by Hernan Diaz. In this interview, he discussed his book with Vanity Fair. ‘Trust, says Diaz, explores wealth and this paradoxical relationship between the extreme isolation and extreme reach that come with it.’

• Five words: Napa Valley Murder Mystery Train.

• You definitely want to learn about the forgotten collection of vinyl records at the White House; the story is available in audio, video, and text so you can choose your own adventure.

• You can now get married at the Boston Public Library!

• Do you want to see places where your favorite movies were filmed? Or walk in the footsteps of your favorite authors? The Book Film Travel has you covered.

• Cantankerous! Highfalutin! Ebullient! Try this ‘name that emotion’ quiz.

• The story of calico is surprisingly compelling and spans the globe. From India to Europe, working-class to high society, and, of course, Little House on the Prairie.

• This story about the Old Fashioned Corned Beef Deli Luncheon held each year in Greenville, Mississippi, is a heart-warmer.

• Do you know about the American Bookbinders Museum in San Francisco?!

The Library of Lost Time

In each 5-minute show, 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 Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker and Book of Night by Holly Black. Then we are charmed by three short words: floating taco bar.

Books

• The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker
• Book of Night by Holly Black

Distraction of the Week

• Visit the website for Lime Out, the floating taco bar — and follow them on Instagram for delicious travel inspiration.
• Read what Travel+Leisure and St. John Magazine have to say about it.
• Fair warning: this video will have you packing your bags and booking a flight before you can say, ‘extra guac, please.’

Wishing you a colorful week.

Top image courtesy of Jim Thirion/Unsplash.