weekend getaway

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

Travel to Victorian Yorkshire and Meet the Remarkable Heroine of 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'
Travel to Victorian Yorkshire and Meet the Remarkable Heroine of 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall'
This weekend, travel back in time in Yorkshire and meet Helen Graham, a surprisingly independent woman who finds herself stuck in the social mores of the Victorian age — until she forges her own path to happiness.
Adventure in WWII Yugoslavia with Detective Bernie Gunther in 'The Lady from Zagreb'
Adventure in WWII Yugoslavia with Detective Bernie Gunther in 'The Lady from Zagreb'
This weekend, travel back to the 1940s with Bernie Gunther, a good detective and good man in bad circumstances. You'll visit Yugoslavia, go toe-to-toe with Joseph Goebbels, fall in love — and oh! solve a murder.
It's Music, Mystery, and Murder at an Isolated Hotel in 'Bellweather Rhapsody'
It's Music, Mystery, and Murder at an Isolated Hotel in 'Bellweather Rhapsody'
An isolated hotel. A brutal snowstorm. A mysterious death. And a high school music festival?! This novel has everything! It's a thrill ride, and we love when an author bends our favorite literary tropes to her will.
Travel from Old Czechoslovakia to Sunny L.A. with the Magical Novel 'The Trick'
Travel from Old Czechoslovakia to Sunny L.A. with the Magical Novel 'The Trick'
Let this story enthrall you as it travels from you from WWII-era Czechoslovakia to modern Los Angeles with a family of unforgettable characters. It will make you believe in the pure, unstoppable magic of love.
Get Caught Up in Brontë-Mania with the Literary Thriller 'The Madwoman Upstairs'
Get Caught Up in Brontë-Mania with the Literary Thriller 'The Madwoman Upstairs'
Literary mysteries abound in this smart, suspenseful love letter to literature set at Oxford University. Our heroine Samantha has known too much tragedy for her young age, and her life is about to be upended again.
Solve a Mystery and Drink Champagne with Phryne Fisher in Australia
Solve a Mystery and Drink Champagne with Phryne Fisher in Australia
This weekend, we recommend a getaway to Queenscliff, Australia. You'll enjoy a lovely holiday by the sea and join in the search for buried treasure. A little bubbly and a pearl-handled pistol go a long way.
It's Moxie, Mayhem, and Murder in Victorian London with 'A Murderous Relation'
It's Moxie, Mayhem, and Murder in Victorian London with 'A Murderous Relation'
London, 1888. So posh, polite, and perilous. Go undercover with Veronica Speedwell and her partner Stoker as they try to avert royal embarrassment, dodge flying bullets, thwart Jack the Ripper, and flirt up a storm.
Gaze on the Arno and Visit the Italian Countryside with the novel 'A Room with a View'
Gaze on the Arno and Visit the Italian Countryside with the novel 'A Room with a View'
This weekend, we recommend a getaway to the warm sunshine and stunning sights of Florence with Lucy Honeychurch, a heroine who would take the world by storm, if she could only get out of her 19th-century muddle.
Explore the Tropical Jungle and Try Not to Get Chomped with 'Jurassic Park'
Explore the Tropical Jungle and Try Not to Get Chomped with 'Jurassic Park'
This weekend, we recommend a getaway to the lush landscape of Costa Rica: glorious sunshine, azure-blue water, and dazzling foliage. Pay no attention to the many ravenous, angry dinosaurs roaming the jungle.
Walk on the Beach and Confront Your Fears with Stephen King's 'Joyland'
Walk on the Beach and Confront Your Fears with Stephen King's 'Joyland'
This story has the ideal elements for a King horror tale — a creepy carny, a haunted ride, a fortune teller, and an unsolved murder — it's really a coming-of-age story that captures that breathless ache of summer.
Take a World Tour (and Fall in Love) with a Charming Author in the Novel 'Less'
Take a World Tour (and Fall in Love) with a Charming Author in the Novel 'Less'
Arthur Less is a medium-successful author with an OK life. But he's turning 50, his ex-boyfriend's in love — and Arthur is invited to the wedding. He does the only reasonable thing: he takes a trip around the world.
Get Caught Up in a Coming-of-Age Story in Pre-Revolution Iran with 'Disoriental'
Get Caught Up in a Coming-of-Age Story in Pre-Revolution Iran with 'Disoriental'
Take a suspenseful, surprising trip to pre-Revolution Iran with an unforgettable heroine. This gripping story travels from the green mountains of northern Iran to the city streets of Tehran and Paris of the 1980s.
Travel Between Modern-Day and '90s Croatia with 'Girl at War'
Travel Between Modern-Day and '90s Croatia with 'Girl at War'
This weekend, we recommend an emotional trip to '90s Croatia... where you'll meet Ana, a courageous heroine on a quest to reconnect with her heritage, her family, her old friends, and, ultimately, herself.
Embark on a Big Adventure to the Andes in 19th-Century Peru with 'The Bedlam Stacks'
Embark on a Big Adventure to the Andes in 19th-Century Peru with 'The Bedlam Stacks'
This weekend, why not go exploring in the snow-capped mountains of Peru? You'll be swept up in local folklore, face your greatest fears, and find your truest friendship. You might also get caught up in a gunfight!
Take an Exciting Trip to Bulgaria with 'The Shadow Land'
Take an Exciting Trip to Bulgaria with 'The Shadow Land'
This weekend, we recommend a getaway to Bulgaria... where you'll visit the capital city, explore mystical hilltop monasteries, get caught up in the secret histories of two world wars, and fall in love.
Revel in Intrigue and Danger at Henry VIII's Court with 'Wolf Hall'
Revel in Intrigue and Danger at Henry VIII's Court with 'Wolf Hall'
This weekend, we recommend a getaway to Tudor-era England with this literary thriller. But watch your pretty neck. With the capricious Henry VIII and wily Thomas Cromwell in charge, it's perilous times indeed.
Relax in the Sun and Sand of Cape Cod with 'Isabel's Bed'
Relax in the Sun and Sand of Cape Cod with 'Isabel's Bed'
This weekend, we recommend a getaway to fabulous Cape Cod... playground of the rich, famous, and infamous. You'll stroll on broad beaches, wade in the bracing water, relax in a glass palace — and fall in love.
Ring in the New Year at an Isolated Scottish Lodge with 'The Hunting Party'
Ring in the New Year at an Isolated Scottish Lodge with 'The Hunting Party'
How idyllic! A group of old friends from Oxford gather in a remote hunting lodge in Scotland to relax by the fire, drink bubbly, and reconnect. Then their New Year's Eve celebration goes horribly, fabulously wrong.
See the Barren Beauty of Antarctica and Gaze at the Stars in 'The Comet Seekers'
See the Barren Beauty of Antarctica and Gaze at the Stars in 'The Comet Seekers'
This weekend, visit Antarctica, France, and Ireland with two unforgettable people who traveled through space and time to find each other. It's a tender, poignant reminder to befriend your ghosts and look at the sky.
Two Delightfully Different Books to Fill You With Christmas Spirit
Two Delightfully Different Books to Fill You With Christmas Spirit
Holiday choice: A charming coming-of-age story in snowy Philadelphia, or eerie stories starring Krampus, the Christmas-y demon who drags bad children to the underworld. Or both! 'Cause what good is nice without naughty?!
Head to Vermont and meet the Remarkable Heroine of 'The Inn at Lake Devine'
Head to Vermont and meet the Remarkable Heroine of 'The Inn at Lake Devine'
This weekend, we recommend a getaway to a lake-side resort in Vermont... where you'll find yourself right smack in the middle of a romantic comedy with real, messy people who make real, messy mistakes.
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.