weekend getaway

Because nothing says 'I'm going to crush this weekend' like a new book and a comfy spot to read.

Escape the Reality of WWII in a Posh Hotel in Portugal with the Novel 'Estoril'
Escape the Reality of WWII in a Posh Hotel in Portugal with the Novel 'Estoril'
Get a different perspective on WWII with this sweet and affecting novel about life in a posh hotel in Portugal. You'll meet privileged exiles, aristocrats on the run, rich revelers, and one unforgettable little boy.
Go Off Script and Get Dramatic with the Theater-Based Mystery 'If We Were Villains'
Go Off Script and Get Dramatic with the Theater-Based Mystery 'If We Were Villains'
The final year of college can be a sensitive time for anyone. But for these acting students, it's even more fraught — with Shakespearean revenge and betrayal, lust and love and broken hearts... both onstage and off.
What is Going on at the Eerie Blackwood School in the YA Classic 'Down a Dark Hall'?!
What is Going on at the Eerie Blackwood School in the YA Classic 'Down a Dark Hall'?!
An isolated school, a frustrated and misunderstood teenager, a rash of unsettling and inexplicable experiences. This novel from Louis Duncan, the queen of YA horror, is a timely, thrilling tale for readers of any age.
Enjoy a Sinister, Sun-drenched Holiday in the South of France with 'The Vacation'
Enjoy a Sinister, Sun-drenched Holiday in the South of France with 'The Vacation'
It's one last blast of summer with this twisty novel of a perfect French holiday gone horribly, delightfully wrong. You'll feel the relentless sunshine glint on the pages as you careen to the very satisfying ending.
Spurn Convention and Solve a Mystery with the Brontë Sisters in 'The Vanished Bride'
Spurn Convention and Solve a Mystery with the Brontë Sisters in 'The Vanished Bride'
Imagine a world where the Brontë sisters take a break from writing their groundbreaking novels and set out across the moors to solve a murder mystery. Then rejoice, because author Bella Ellis has created that world.
It's a Glam and Deadly Caper in Cabo San Lucas with 'Fields' Guide to Abduction'
It's a Glam and Deadly Caper in Cabo San Lucas with 'Fields' Guide to Abduction'
Poppy Fields thought her trip to Mexico would be the break she needs to heal her broken heart. Sunshine and cocktails: What could go wrong? But Poppy finds more trouble than she bargained for on the beaches of Baja.
Run Away to a Small College Town with the Romantic Dramedy 'The Way Men Act'
Run Away to a Small College Town with the Romantic Dramedy 'The Way Men Act'
What's a former popular girl supposed to do when she doesn't conquer the world as she planned? Our heroine Melinda LeBlanc heads back to her hometown of Harrow to lick her wounds, regroup, and give it another go.
Take a Road Trip to Wyoming & Montana to Solve a Thrilling Cold Case with 'Celine'
Take a Road Trip to Wyoming & Montana to Solve a Thrilling Cold Case with 'Celine'
This page-turning novel features two unforgettable heroines and a taut cold case — plus family secrets, crushing tragedy, and a clarion call for hope — set against the majestic landscape of Yellowstone National Park.
Fall Under the Spell of the Mysterious, Sexy Fairy Tale 'The Governesses'
Fall Under the Spell of the Mysterious, Sexy Fairy Tale 'The Governesses'
This weekend, you'll find yourself languorously lolling around a sun-lit garden with three unusual girls. These are not your buttoned-up and bespectacled governesses of classic lit. It's sexy times in fairy tale land.
Raise a Glass to the Worst Wedding Ever in the Gleefully Sinister 'The Guest List'
Raise a Glass to the Worst Wedding Ever in the Gleefully Sinister 'The Guest List'
This weekend, you're invited to a destination wedding on an island off the coast of Ireland. Pretty people, blue skies, crashing surf, open bar, love in the air, and... oops! a little murder at the wedding reception.
Travel From Modern Savannah to WWII-Era Philippines with 'The Good Luck Stone'
Travel From Modern Savannah to WWII-Era Philippines with 'The Good Luck Stone'
Long-held secrets rise up like ghosts to haunt their keepers. The story of Audrey, our 90-year-old heroine, begins and ends in Savannah, but it's the middle bit in the war-ravaged Philippines that defines her life.
Grab a Candelabra and Your Courage to Visit the Haunted Manor House of 'Mexican Gothic'
Grab a Candelabra and Your Courage to Visit the Haunted Manor House of 'Mexican Gothic'
This weekend, take an unsettling but stylish adventure to an isolated mansion in 1950s Mexico. Yes, the Doyle family is creepy and the house is quite sinister, but our heroine Noemí is a charming and feisty companion.
Extraordinary Adventures in Victorian London with 'The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter'
Extraordinary Adventures in Victorian London with 'The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter'
This weekend, take yourself off to Victorian London with a group of monstrously determined young women. You'll foil villains, beat back personal demons, and make a sound argument for why dresses must have pockets.
Celebrate Midsummer in Sweden and Get Caught Up in a Mystery With 'Black River'
Celebrate Midsummer in Sweden and Get Caught Up in a Mystery With 'Black River'
The summer solstice — a long day of sunlight and the setting for a chilling mystery. As revelers celebrate Midsommar in Sweden, danger creeps from the forest, suspects abound, and an intrepid reporter is on the case.
Celebrating Anne Frank Who Won the World's Heart With 'The Diary of a Young Girl'
Celebrating Anne Frank Who Won the World's Heart With 'The Diary of a Young Girl'
Anne Frank was born on 12 June 1929. Her words are as essential now as they were when she committed them to the pages of the journal she received for her 13th birthday almost 80 years ago.
Fight for Freedom, Dignity, and Hope in Liberia with 'She Would Be King'
Fight for Freedom, Dignity, and Hope in Liberia with 'She Would Be King'
Liberia was meant to be a new country in West Africa for freed slaves and free-born black people. It was both controversial and promising. This reimagining connects us to the people behind these historical events.
Get Swept Up in Adventure in 1920s Mexico With 'Gods of Jade and Shadow'
Get Swept Up in Adventure in 1920s Mexico With 'Gods of Jade and Shadow'
Casiopea is a heroine you can believe in: smart, brave, sweet but scrappy. Each of her days is much like the one before and the one after, until she meets the Mayan god of death and has the adventure of her life.
Get Ready to Rumble with a Roller Derby Mystery in 'Rolling Thunder'
Get Ready to Rumble with a Roller Derby Mystery in 'Rolling Thunder'
Who could resist women on wheels, racing around the track and tackling each other with glee? Certainly not (anti)hero Hammerhead Jed, pro-wrestler-turned-P.I., who delves into Vancouver's dark side to solve a case.
Gourmet Meals, Champagne, and Adventure Aboard a Vintage Train in 'The Dining Car'
Gourmet Meals, Champagne, and Adventure Aboard a Vintage Train in 'The Dining Car'
Is there anything quite so romantic as the notion of riding the rails? This weekend, embark on a madcap adventure across the United States while you relax in the velvet-linen-and-teak luxury of a vintage train car.
Salem is Bewitching and Beguiling in 'The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane'
Salem is Bewitching and Beguiling in 'The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane'
Who could possibly resist the allure of secret family history, a crumbling mansion, a hidden 17th-century book, and an antique key?! Certainly not our heroine Connie Goodwin, which makes for a great story, indeed.
Sneak Into Tel Aviv, Vienna, London, Paris, and More With Super-Spy Gabriel Allon
Sneak Into Tel Aviv, Vienna, London, Paris, and More With Super-Spy Gabriel Allon
Let's go jet-setting around the world this weekend (from the safety of our couches, obvs). Yes, it's potentially dangerous, but when you're hanging out with the world's best assassin, excitement is to be expected.
sharing is caring!

Wanna help us spread the word? If you like this page, please share with your friends.

our mission

Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.

our patreon

Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.

get our newsletter
We'll never share your email with anyone else. Promise.

This is a weekly email. If you'd like a quick alert whenever we update our blog, subscribe here.

no spoilers. ever.

We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.

super-cool reading fun
reading atlas

This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.

get our newsletter
We'll never share your email with anyone else. Promise.
follow us

Content on this site is ©2024 by Smudge Publishing, unless otherwise noted. Peace be with you, person who reads the small type.