Raichle Palace, Beautiful Libraries, Retro Motels, Chips Oman & More: Endnotes 09 June

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 building above looks like it’s made of cookies and candy, no? It’s the Raichle Palace in Subotica, Serbia. Built in 1904 by architect Ferenc Raichle, it was designed to be his home and work studio. He mashed together Hungarian-style Art Nouveau with Transylvanian folk art to create a one-of-a-kind residence. Back in the day, it included his office, a dining room, a gentlemen’s smoking lounge, dressing rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and a winter garden. Today, it’s home to the Modern Art Gallery of Subotica. But that also means we mortals can peek at the Murano glass mosaics, ceramic tiles, stained glass accents, carved wooden doors and window frames, wrought iron trim, and colorful heart motifs. Google Arts & Culture has very gorgeous photos of the interior and exterior. You might want to put the small town of Subotica on your ‘visit someday’ list: its streets are lined with colorful examples of Art Nouveau architecture — including the stunning Subotica Synagogue. Here’s a travel guide with more eye candy.

• Did I buy the book Temples of Books: Magnificent Libraries Around the World after looking at these photos? Yes, I did.

• What exactly separates the short story from the novel? ‘[T]he short story is defined by its originality, ingenuity, and, above all, vigorous compression.’

• And now: a good short story about a potentially problematic wedding.

• As a child of the 1970s, these retro motels define summer vacation for me.

• Scent Back in Time: How Ancient Odours Can Bring the Past to Life. ‘What is exciting about smell is that, when you go into a recreated set in a museum, and you can smell the environment, it’s like breathing in the air of that historical world — it helps to transport you there.’

• The Chronotrains website shows you how far you can travel from each train station in Europe in one to eight hours.

• If you only click on one thing, make it this arresting and beautiful photo from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1958.

• Even more evidence that librarians are the best: In the 1970s, a group of campus librarians knew the world would soon need a new way to search for information. ‘While the popular history of the internet valorizes Silicon Valley coders… many of the original concepts for search emerged from library scientists focused on the accessibility of documents in time and space.’

• A few years ago, in October, I listened to The Turn of the Screw audiobook, narrated by the incomparable Emma Thompson. It was one of my all-time great reading experiences. Now I want to watch all these screen adaptations. And if you’re not sure why anyone would be that excited about The Turn of the Screw, read this.

• Sorta related:

• All the Rage: The Rise of the Menopause Novel. Please, can we NOT make the phrase ‘hot-flush lit’ happen?!

• Helpful! Here’s How Much You Should Tip in Major Cities Around the World.

• Regional foods are a fun, locals-only way to get a sense of a place. This essay about ordinary/extraordinary potato chips in Dubai made me hungry.

• Here’s a feel-good story for you. When a former soldier learned his village in Taiwan would be demolished, he picked up a brush and started painting. He’s 96 years old (!) and is known as ‘Grandpa Rainbow. His artistic approach saved his village.

• This excerpt from a book about the meaning of gestures around the world is charming and informative.

• The Country House Murder mystery…in America. ‘The manor mystery is more commonly associated with the British, but Americans have their novels, too.’

• I loved this episode of Vanishing Postcards about the delicious Vietnamese food to be found in Rockport, Texas.

New Episode of The Library of Lost Time

In each mini-podcast episode, we discuss two books at the top of our TBR, then share a fun book- or travel-related distraction. Get all the episodes and books galore here.

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Power of Saying No by Vanessa Patrick and Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum. Then Dave shares fun facts about Shakespeare’s First Folio. [transcript]

Links

• SSoP Podcast Episode 53 — Theater: Act One, Scene I, Lights Up.

• Celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s First Folio.

• Video: Unboxing Shakespeare’s First Folio.

• The Book of William: How Shakespeare’s First Folio Conquered the World by Paul Collins.

• Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Psst… do you need to visit your local bookstore or library today?

Top image courtesy of Nenad Nedomacki/Shutterstock.