Wales, NYC Bookstores, D&D, Jane Austen Podcast, Literary England & More: Endnotes 10 January

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.

Sometimes you just want to gaze on some lovely green rolling hills — this particular soothing vista is in Wales. Did you know that this little country has more than 600 castles (!), 12 steam trains, four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and three national parks? Plus it’s home to (inter)national treasure and actor Michael Sheen. (Treat yourself to his reading of ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’ by Dylan Thomas.) Sheen announced yesterday that he’s funding a new national theater in Wales: ‘I want it to be something that represents the rich culture that we are and always have been in this country. We want to please ourselves but thrill the world. I want to be able to tell big stories on big stages for big audiences.’ If you need more convincing, here are 12 reasons everyone should visit Wales at least once and Rick Steves’ episode on North Wales.

• Vulture delivers the 25 best Irish novels of the last 15 years. ‘As the list developed, certain themes emerged: Irish emigration, the tension between cities and small towns, the recession of the mid-aughts, a playfulness with language and genre. And the breadth of talent.’

• Art Spiegelman, the cartoonist behind the groundbreaking (and Pulitzer Prize-winning) graphic novel Maus is the subject of an upcoming documentary. ‘The film showcases his resistance to fascism, from Nazis to Trump, and features rich illustrations from his comics, highlighting his significant impact as an artist and cultural critic.’

• As charge into 2025, here’s one more loving glance back: The Best Travel Books of 2024 from Wanderlust magazine. ‘From a travel memoir exploring Latin America to a quiz book combining geography and politics, these new titles are guaranteed to spark your wanderlust.’

• The very best bookstores in New York City, according to Town & Country.

• Heads up, travelers! There are new rules coming into affect for traveling to UK and Europe in 2024. ‘Many international travellers will soon need to register for an online authorisation before touching down in the UK or many EU nations.’

• Here’s a rundown of the books you might want to read before their screen adaptations hit in 2025. A new version of I Know What You Did Last Summer! Another peek into Bridget Jones’ delightfully messy life!

• We both enjoyed this deep dive into the world of Dungeons & Dragons. There are deft literary references, fascinating D&D history, and a peek inside what it’s like to play the game.

• Excited about this: Jane Austen’s House has a new podcast. ‘a mindful, soothing and uplifting podcast that transports you to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton. Each month, join us on a seasonal journey through Jane Austen’s novels, the story of her life and the world she lived in. Discover scenes, letters, recipes, and objects from the museum collection, bound together with original music and sounds recorded in the House itself.’

• Related: Is 2025 the year of Jane Austen? ‘From society balls to blockbuster TV shows, the 250th anniversary of Britain’s greatest author is set to break records.’

• This unusual staging of King Lear in a crumbling theater looks so cool. ‘In 1999, architect Luis Longhi undertook a bold and visionary project to transform the fire-damaged Teatro Municipal de Lima into an extraordinary venue for a staging of Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear.’ Instead of restoring the theater to its former glory, Longhi embraced its ruined state as part of the artistic narrative.’

• I desperately want someone to write a fantasy novel set in this costume designer’s atelier in Vienna. Susanne Bisovsky’s work space is ‘part salon, part archive, and entirely enchanting.’ What a magical space!

• National Geographic has ideas about how to plan the ultimate literary tour of England. ‘From the gothic charm of Bram Stoker’s Whitby to the cottage garden that inspired Beatrix Potter’s beloved children’s book series, discover the destinations that influenced the world’s most famous wordsmiths.’

• DIAL-A-POEM!

• Oh! I love these flower arrangements inspired by classic novels.

• This is not the setup for a joke, although it kinda seems like it. Did you know that there’s a book no one will ever be able to finish reading in their lifetime, and it only has 10 pages?(Thanks to Sally Jane Smith for sharing this with us.)

• Finally, if you love The Picture of Dorian Gray the way I love The Picture of Dorian Gray, you might need this very special edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. — Oscar Wilde

Top image courtesy of Mitchell Orr/Unsplash.